WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert face credibility issues regarding player harassment

September 27, 2024

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WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert face credibility issues regarding player harassment

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark didn’t like what she heard from a fan late in the first quarter of Wednesday’s playoff loss in Connecticut and gestured for officials to remove the man from his second-row seat. In a relative blink of an eye, security tapped the person on the shoulder and escorted him to a less visible area, where a discussion took place.

Ultimately, the person was allowed to return to their seat. And while the incident lasted only a few minutes, optics lingered within the WNBA community as they raised questions about whether the league has a double standard in handling harassment complaints. In fact, the quick resolution of a white athlete’s complaint stood out in contrast to the months of silence black players received from the league office for being the targets of race-fueled hatred on social media and in arenas.

Security had a conversation with a fan after Caitlin Clark pointed them out to the referee. pic.twitter.com/N6RCnAv1qz

— ESPN (@espn) September 26, 2024

The influx of attention to the WNBA that followed Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese to the league has threatened the reputation it has painstakingly built for inclusivity, empathy and tolerance. It has also called into question the leadership of Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who contributed to the poisoning earlier this month when she apparently said racism is good for a growing business.

During a CNBC interview, she was asked what the league was doing to stay ahead of the “darker” and “more threatening” comments from fans on social media. Instead of directly condemning the vitriol, she sidestepped the question by suggesting that the Clark-Reese rivalry is good because it has brought a lot of attention and interest to the league, not to mention more corporate dollars for players. They should simply ignore unsavory comments, she said.

She may not have meant that higher revenues are an acceptable excuse for overt racism, but that is how the players’ union and some of its members interpreted her words. Their public condemnation of Engelbert’s comments prompted the commissioner clarify her comments the next day on social media — “Just to be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else,” she posted — and sent letters to every player in the league condemning future commitment promised.

That was a positive, if obvious, first step for a problem that is growing. Connecticut standout Alyssa Thomas talked about it Wednesday night after knocking the Fever out of the playoffs.

“In my 11-year career, I have never experienced the racist comments made by Indiana Fever fans,” she said, adding: “It is, quite frankly, unacceptable. There’s no room for it. We’ve been professional the whole time, but I’ve never been called that when I’ve been called on social media. There’s no room for it. Basketball is going in the right direction, but we don’t want fans who will relegate us and call us racist names. … Something has to be done.”

The WNBA released a statement condemning racism and promising to work with teams, arenas and law enforcement to address the problem, but what does that really mean? And why would anyone believe Engelbert has the answer? It’s mind-numbing how ill-prepared she is for this moment, even when everyone knew Clark and Reese brought large and loyal fans to the league that often fall along racial and cultural lines.

Engelbert’s inability to get it right the first time was disappointing and upsetting because you only get one chance to make a first impression on a subject so important.

I’ve lost a lot of respect for WNBA this year and I’m a former player. The leadership valued dollars over protecting their players and now we’re getting an explanation at the end of the season. No. Miss me with that. #isaidwatisaid

— Tynesha Lewis (@iamtynesha) September 26, 2024

Connecticut wing DiJonai Carrington recalled bypassing the league before Wednesday’s game with a post on her Instagram Story. It included a screenshot of an email she received after, according to her and Clark, she accidentally poked Clark in the eye in Game 1. The email called her a “worthless n— b–” and said : ‘I hope someone rapes her. you and cut off your head.”

Some fans at Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday went beyond the normal cheering and jeering seen at most sporting events. A woman wore a T-shirt with the text “BAN NAILS,” and held up hands with uncomically long nails made of colored paper, a disturbing caricature of Carrington and Black culture. Another man, wearing a red Donald Trump baseball cap, held up a sign with the text ‘Make Basketball Great again #22’, a nod to Clark’s jersey number. So much for the calls to keep politics out of sports, right?

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Grner said Thursday there should be a uniform harassment policy.

“I don’t appreciate the new fans who sit there and shout racist comments at myself, my teammates and the people I play against,” she said, adding: “We all deserve to play in a safe environment.”

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WNBA denounces negative messages sent to players

Carrington’s girlfriend is NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Fever. After Wednesday’s game, Smith announced that Carrington was being followed and received death threats. Reese described receiving same treatment after taunting Clark in LSU’s NCAA championship game victory two seasons ago. She said this in a post on social media on Thursday.

“For the past two years, the media has capitalized on my pain and the fact that I was abused to create a narrative,” she wrote. “They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences about things that have happened to me, but I also let this happen to me for far too long and now other players in this league are dealing with and experiencing the same things. This is not okay at all. Anything beyond criticism of playing the game we love is wrong. I’m sorry for all the players who have/continue to experience the same things as me.”

Clark on Friday also criticized the attacks in terms similar to comments she made earlier this season.

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

While Clark’s sentiments are welcome, calling these attackers “trolls” is too simplistic and dismissive. Racist attacks are committed by racists. This isn’t about being uptight or simply gaslighting.

The league and its teams are not helpless in this matter. Hatred can never be completely eradicated; it is as much a part of this country’s history as the stars and stripes. But there are steps that can be taken. First, teams can control who and what is brought into their arenas. The only reason anyone would link Trump’s campaign slogan to a sporting event featuring predominantly black and/or queer women is to provoke a reaction that has nothing to do with basketball. Ditto for the woman wearing Wolverine-esque paper fingernails.

Teams can also compare the names on social media accounts that post hateful content to the names of season ticket holders. If a match is found, that person may be banned from attending matches.

Finally, Engelbert can hire someone who has the expertise and skills to help the league navigate the intersectionality of race, culture, sexuality and misogyny. That person would help restore the league’s reputation as a place where the concerns of black and queer players are just as important as those of a straight, white Midwesterner.