INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark on Monday denounced hatred and bigotry directed toward the league and its players, one day after the WNBA announced it was investigating “alleged hateful fan comments” that were made toward the Chicago Sky during the Fever’s season-opening win Saturday.
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“There’s no place for that in our game. There’s no place for that in society,” Clark said after practice. “Certainly, we want every person that comes into our arena, whether a player or a fan, to have a great experience, so I appreciate the league doing that (investigation). … We’ll leave that up to them to find anything and take the proper action if so.”
According to a source briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly, the WNBA’s investigation is in response to allegations of “racial” comments directed toward Sky star Angel Reese by one or multiple fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the league said in a statement Sunday. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”
Since entering the WNBA, Clark has continuously pushed back against any hatred aimed at players in the league. Clark said she didn’t hear any hateful comments Saturday but welcomed the WNBA to take a further look.
“It’s super loud in here. Although I didn’t hear anything, I think that’s why they’re doing the investigation,” Clark said. “That doesn’t mean nothing happened, so you just trust the league’s investigation, and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing.”
I asked #IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark directly about her name being weaponized for racism/misogyny (as Dijonai Carrington alluded to):
“It’s disappointing. … Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.” pic.twitter.com/gyAWBqGG8c
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
In the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese while Reese attempted a layup. The Sky forward was sent sprawling to the floor after Clark swiped down on her arm and pushed her in the back. Reese took exception to Clark’s physicality and responded by springing to her feet and beelining toward Clark as Clark walked away. Players on both teams got in between Reese and Clark so that they never came face to face.
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After the game, Reese and Clark both downplayed the flagrant foul. Clark said she didn’t intend to do anything “malicious,” and Reese called their dustup a “basketball play.” The two players have shared several heated matchups and moments through the years, including the 2023 national championship in which Reese’s LSU beat Clark’s Iowa. However, each athlete has previously stated how much they respect the other’s game.
Fever coach Stephanie White, who also played in the WNBA, believes the respect shown between players should be upheld among the league’s fans. She echoed Clark’s denouncement of hatred and said the Fever would “cooperate fully” with the WNBA’s investigation into alleged fan misconduct.
“There’s no place for that in our league. Whether it’s on the road or at home, it doesn’t matter,” White said. “We want to encourage our players, our staff, to bring recognition to it in real time if it’s heard, if it’s seen or anything from that nature. … I often say, ‘Be a fan. Don’t be a jerk.’ Be respectful and be passionate, but it’s not that hard to not be a jerk.”
This is not the first time Fever fans have come under scrutiny. Last year, after the Connecticut Sun beat the Fever in the first round of the playoffs, Sun star Alyssa Thomas called out Fever fans, specifically those online.
“In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said in September 2024. “It’s unacceptable, honestly, and there’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire (matchup), but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for it.”
Last week, the WNBA announced a season-long platform that aims to “combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.” The program comes after numerous players said they experienced an increase in harassment, including homophobic, racist, misogynistic and threatening attacks.
As attention on the league has risen, Clark has advocated for a safe and inclusive environment for WNBA players to compete. Last year, during Clark’s rookie season, she denounced anyone falsely claiming to be her fan while spewing racist and misogynistic rhetoric.
“People should not be using my name to push those agendas,” Clark said in June 2024. “It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable. … Just treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, is just a basic human thing that everybody should do. Just be a kind person and treat them how you would want to be treated.”
(Grace Smith / USA Today via Imagn)
This news was originally published on this post .
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