Caitlin Clark joins Fever in condemning ‘hateful comments and threats’ towards WNBA players

September 29, 2024

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Caitlin Clark joins Fever in condemning ‘hateful comments and threats’ towards WNBA players

INDIANAPOLIS – At Friday’s news conference following the conclusion of the Indiana Fever season, rookie Caitlin Clark and head coach Christie Sides condemned the racist rhetoric that many WNBA players said they experienced this season.

“No one in our league should experience any form of racism, hurtful, disrespectful (or) hateful comments and threats,” Clark said. ‘They’re not fans. Those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people of our league, the organization, the WNBA.”

Online targeting of WNBA players appears to have reached a tipping point during the postseason. After the Connecticut Sun eliminated the Fever in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday, Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas pointed to the “Indiana Fever fanbase” directing hateful comments toward her and her teammates. Sun guard DiJonai Carrington shared online before Game 2 against the Fever an email she received from an anonymous source that contained threatening and racist language.

The Athletics @RomeovilleKid asked Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark about the racism and other negativity players have endured this season.

‘They’re not fans. Those are trolls.”pic.twitter.com/Im0IeDjGkv

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 27, 2024

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such racist comments from Indiana Fever fans in my 11-year career,” Thomas said. ‘… It’s frankly unacceptable, and yes, there’s no place for it. We’ve been professional the whole time, but I’ve never been called that when I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for that.

“Basketball is moving in the right direction, but no, we don’t want fans to downgrade us and call us racial names.”

Thomas said the Fever should “control their fans,” and also called on the WNBA to do more to protect its players. Sun coach Stephanie White said the toxicity her players have experienced, as well as players across the league, is unacceptable but also a reflection of society. She specifically mentioned “racism, sexism, homophobia (and) transphobia” as issues plaguing the country.

The WNBA released a statement Wednesday also condemning hateful comments toward players: “The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world. While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams or anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activities and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate action, including involving law enforcement, as necessary.

White said the media should not allow online trolls to “become the story” and fuel potentially damaging stories. Fever forward Aliyah Boston expressed a similar view during her end-of-season press conference.

“I feel like the media plays a big role in what other people think, whether they watch the game or not,” Boston said. “Sometimes people don’t even watch the games. They just look at storylines and headlines that come out, and they run from that. It’s easy to attach yourself to Fever because we have a lot of attention around us right now, and it’s so easy to say, ‘Well, I’m a Fever fan, I’m an AB fan, I’m a Caitlin- fan and just hate it – and that’s never okay.”

Sides began her season-ending press conference on Friday, along with general manager Lin Dunn, by reading a statement emphasizing that there is “no place for hate or racism of any kind” in the WNBA. She also said that the people spreading vitriol are not “real” Fever fans or WNBA fans.

Clark, who won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award, said in June that people “shouldn’t use my name” to push hateful agendas. The No. 1 pick broke several records during her first season and continues to generate unprecedented ratings and attendance in women’s basketball.

“There are a lot of really good fans, whether they’ve been fans for 20 years or new fans to our league,” Clark said Friday. “I think the best thing we can do is continue to improve this league in a very positive light because there are so many great players, there are so many great teams, there are so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated. And for me, that’s the reason I became a fan of this competition.”

Dunn praised Clark for the way she handled the spotlight, noting the criticism and negativity Clark faced while still leading the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016.

“I think the experiences she had in Iowa were very similar to this. … Sold out arenas, media, trolls, the whole thing,” Dunn said. “She was already dealing with a lot of the things she’s dealing with now, and I think social media has taken its toll on everyone. All our players, all our staff. We have all faced the problems we see today, and that is unfortunate and should not be tolerated.”