Latest news with #PacersSportsEntertainment
New York Times
27-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
WNBA unable to substantiate reports of racist behavior at Sky-Fever game
The WNBA could not substantiate reports of racist fan behavior at the May 17 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game following its investigation into the matter, the league announced Tuesday. The WNBA had been investigating reports of allegedly racist behavior in the vicinity of the court, and said it had gathered information from 'relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game.' The following has been released by the WNBA. — WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) May 27, 2025 The league had announced it was looking into allegations of hateful comments made from the stands the day after Indiana's 35-point victory over Chicago, with a source brief on the situation saying the alleged comments were directed toward Sky forward Angel Reese by either a fan or fans at Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Advertisement 'We appreciate the swift and thorough process undertaken by the WNBA to investigate these allegations, which were not substantiated,' Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said in a statement. 'At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, we are committed to providing the best possible basketball experience for players and fans where hate speech has absolutely no place. Indiana is home to the world's greatest fans, and we look forward to an exciting season of Fever basketball.' The Sky have not responded to a request for comment. The launch of the investigation came just days removed from the WNBA announcing a season-long platform designed to 'combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.' The allegation marked sparked the first investigation under the platform, which involved creating task force of league and team representatives to focus on four areas, including enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online and an emphasis on team, arena and league security measures. Fever star guard Caitlin Clark had denounced hatred and bigotry directed toward the league and its players in the aftermath of the league's initial announcement. Reese had done the same. 'I think the WNBA and our team and our organization have done a great job supporting me,' the Sky forward said last week. 'I've had communication from everyone, from so many people across this league. It could happen to me, it can happen to anyone. And I think they've done a good job supporting us in this.' A year ago, numerous players said they dealt with a rise in harassment, including increased targeted racist, misogynistic, homophobic and threatening attacks with players saying such comments took a toll on their mental health. 'They understand that this is a priority,' Reese said last week. 'I believe that every player in this league deserves to be treated with respect and wants to come to work and just have fun and have a great environment to work at.' The Sky play the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night while the Fever next play the Mystics on Wednesday, though Clark will miss the game with a quad injury. This story will be updated.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
WNBA says it cannot substantiate claims that racist remarks were made by fans at Sky-Fever game
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA says it cannot substantiate claims that racist fan behavior took place during a game in Indianapolis between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever earlier this month. The league said its investigation included gathering information from fans, team and arena staff, as well as an 'audio and video review of the game.' The league said, 'we have not substantiated it.' The WNBA, according to a person familiar with the investigation, was probing claims that racist comments were directed toward Chicago's Angel Reese by fans during the loss to WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Reese, who is Black, and Clark, who is white, were meeting for the seventh time in their ongoing — and much-talked-about — rivalry. Clark later said she did not hear any racist remarks during that game, but acknowledged that it was loud in Indiana's arena throughout the game. 'It's super loud in here, and though I didn't hear anything, I think that's why they're doing the investigation,' Clark said earlier this month. 'That's why they're looking into it. That doesn't mean nothing happened, so I'll just trust the league's investigation, and I'm sure they'll do the right thing.' Both teams had issued statements supporting the investigation, as did the WNBA Players Union. 'We appreciate the swift and thorough process undertaken by the WNBA to investigate these allegations, which were not substantiated,' Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said Tuesday in a statement distributed by the Fever. 'At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, we are committed to providing the best possible basketball experience for players and fans where hate speech has absolutely no place. Indiana is home to the world's greatest fans, and we look forward to an exciting season of Fever basketball.' ___ AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg in New York also contributed to this report. ___ AP WNBA:
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Caitlin Clark speaks out on WNBA's probe into alleged 'hateful comments' toward Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark addressed the WNBA's investigation into alleged "hateful comments" toward Angel Reese during a shootaround on Monday as the Indiana Fever prepare for the Atlanta Dream. The WNBA launched its investigation on Sunday as the league condemned "racism, hate and discrimination in all forms." There were no specifics detailed about the alleged incident. "There's no place for that in our game," Clark told reporters, via the Indy Star. "There's no place for that in society. Certainly we want every person that comes into our arena, whether player, whether fan, to have a great experience. "I appreciate the league doing that. The Fever organization has been at the forefront of that since, really, day one, what they're doing. Hopefully the investigation — we'll leave that up to them to find anything and take the proper action if so." Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines issued a statement on the matter. "We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday's game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation," Raines said. "We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players." The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) also released a statement, calling "such behavior unacceptable." "The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday's game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA's current investigation into this matter," the union said. "Such behavior is unacceptable for our sport. "Under the WNBA's 'No Space for Hate' policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all." The WNBA launched its "No Space for Hate" campaign before the 2025 season tipped off. The campaign will include the use of AI social media monitoring tools that will help the league enforce a revised code of conduct. "As part of the comprehensive plan, the WNBA is rolling out an AI-powered technology solution to monitor social media activity, in partnership with players and teams, to help protect the community from online hate speech and harassment," it said. A revised WNBA fan code of conduct includes regulations for fans on social media, and threats of sanctioning those fans from official content if they are violated. The new policy lists racist, homophobic, sexist, sexual, threatening or libelous content as "subject to blocking or deletion." "Repeat violations of these guidelines may result in the violator no longer being able to follow our news, comment on our posts or send us messages," the policy reads. "Additionally, any direct threats to players, referees or other league and team personnel may be referred to law enforcement and may result in the violator being banned from all WNBA arenas and events." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
CTV News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
WNBA investigating reports of racial slurs directed towards Angel Reese
Angel Reese (center) had 12 points and 17 rebounds in the Chicago Sky's loss to the Indiana Fever on Saturday. (via CNN Newsource) The WNBA said it was investigating reports of racial slurs directed towards Angel Reese during the Chicago Sky's loss to the Indiana Fever on Saturday. '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, per the Associated Press. 'We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.' CNN Sports has contacted the WNBA for comment. It's unclear when the alleged incident happened in Saturday's game but, the Fever released a statement Sunday saying they are 'aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct' during the game. 'We are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation,' Mel Raines – CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Fever – said in the statement. 'We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.' With 4:38 remaining in the third quarter and the Fever up 56-42, Reese claimed an offensive rebound and was driving towards the basket when Indiana star Caitlin Clark made hard contact with her right arm, knocking the Sky forward to the ground and sending the ball rolling away. Reese, clearly upset, got straight back to her feet and tried to confront the 2024 Rookie of the Year, who walked away with her back to Reese while Indiana's Aliyah Boston stepped between the two. Clark's foul was upgraded from a personal to a flagrant 1, while Reese and Boston each received technical fouls. Both players downplayed the incident afterwards and it is unclear whether the alleged racial slurs were related to the confrontation. Chicago Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said the franchise 'welcome(s) the WNBA's investigation of allegations of fan misconduct' during the game. 'We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players,' Fox continued in a statement. The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) said it was 'aware of reports of hateful comments' and supports the WNBA's investigation. 'Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport,' the players' union said in a statement. 'Under the WNBA's 'No Space for Hate' policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.' The Sky and Fever will play four more times in the regular season. Clark finished with a triple-double – 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – in the season opener while Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds. The pair faced off four times last year in their WNBA debut seasons, with the Fever winning three of the contests. Clark was named Rookie of the Year with all but one of the 67 votes, with the other vote going to Reese. Both players have played down the rivalry, but after heated clashes at the collegiate level – most notably in the 2023 NCAA women's championship game – the basketball stars have been closely linked. Ahead of the new season, the WNBA unveiled its aforementioned 'No Space for Hate' campaign, aimed at targeting hate and promoting respect in women's basketball, both online and in stadiums. 'We believe that basketball can be a unifying force – a place where people from all walks of life come together not just to watch a game, but to connect,' WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. 'We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom – not hate and vitriol.' The league said the new venture will introduce technology to recognize hateful language used online, increase security in arenas and for teams, provide more mental health resources for players and an 'alignment of core against hate.' Article written by Ben Morse, CNN
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA looking into allegations of hateful comments toward Angel Reese: Source
WNBA looking into allegations of hateful comments toward Angel Reese: Source The WNBA is investigating allegations of hateful comments made from the stands during Saturday's season opener between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, the league said in a statement Sunday. 'The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,' the league said. 'We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.' Advertisement The statement, which didn't specify when in the game the alleged comments occurred, was in response to allegations of 'racial' comments directed toward the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese by either a fan or fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, said a source briefed on the situation, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The WNBPA released a statement saying it was aware of the allegations and supports the league's investigation. 'Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport,' the WNBPA statement said. 'Under the WNBA's 'No Space for Hate' policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.' The Fever are working closely with the WNBA on its investigation, Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said in a statement. Advertisement 'We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players,' Raines said. The Sky did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, the WNBA announced a season-long platform designed to 'combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.' It created a task force of league and team representatives to focus on four areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena, and league security measures; reinforced mental health resources; and alignment of core values against hate. On Saturday, a public service announcement aired inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert discussing the league's 'No Space for Hate' policy and platform. Advertisement Last season, numerous players said they dealt with a rise in harassment, including increased targeted racist, misogynistic, homophobic and threatening attacks that players said took a toll on their mental health. Around the league, key stakeholders also questioned how the league handled the influx of attention that followed the stardom of Caitlin Clark and Reese as they transitioned to the pros. Reese was booed multiple times by fans inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, peaking when Reese approached the free-throw line for a pair of shots after officials called Clark for a flagrant foul on Reese midway through the third quarter of Indiana's eventual 35-point victory. Clark was called for the flagrant 1 for what official Roy Gulbeyan said was a 'wind up, impact and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese's back.' Reese and Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston were both assessed offsetting technical fouls following the exchange. Reese and Clark downplayed the incident after the game. Advertisement 'Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on,' Reese said. Clark said she went for the basketball and that she wasn't sure why the referees upgraded the common foul to a flagrant. 'I've watched a lot of basketball in my life,' she said. 'That's exactly what it was. I wasn't trying to do anything malicious. That's not the type of player I am.' The Sky and Fever will play each other again on June 7 in the second of five meetings this season. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
