Latest news with #hatefulcomments
National Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Caitlin Clark says hate has ‘no place' in WNBA after alleged fan comments
Asked Monday about alleged comments described as 'hateful' by the WNBA players union, Caitlin Clark said 'there's no place for that in our game, there's no place for that in society.' Article content The comments were said to have come from the stands during a game Saturday between Clark's Indiana Fever and the visiting Chicago Sky, which features fellow second-year star Angel Reese. Without specifying what was alleged to have been said, the WNBA said Sunday that it 'strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms' and that it was looking into the matter. Article content Multiple outlets, including the Associated Press, cited sources in reporting that the comments were directed at Reese during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Spokespeople for the Fever and Sky did not immediately respond Monday to requests for confirmation and additional comment. Article content The Women's National Basketball Players Association said in a statement Sunday it was 'aware of reports of hateful comments' at the game and that 'such behavior is unacceptable in our sport.' Article content According to the Indianapolis Star, a report filed to the WNBA indicated the alleged comments were not related to a much-discussed moment in the game when Clark delivered a hard foul to Reese as the Sky standout went for a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound. Reese tumbled to the court, then got up and approached Clark, who walked away as officials and Indiana teammates intervened. Clark was issued a flagrant-one foul. Article content After the game, a 93-58 Fever win, both players downplayed the significance of their interaction. Clark described it as a routine take foul simply meant to send Reese to the free throw line rather than let her make a layup, and Reese said it amounted to a 'basketball play.' Article content The moment added another chapter to the on-court history of Clark and Reese after the latter celebrated a 2023 national championship win for her LSU Tigers over Iowa by taunting Clark, then the superstar centerpiece for the Hawkeyes. Reese and LSU subsequently lost to Clark's Hawkeyes in the 2024 NCAA tournament, after which Reese became the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft. Clark was drafted first overall and took the WNBA by storm, but along the way, the physical treatment she occasionally experienced sparked discussion of how her status as a White phenom in a league composed primarily of Black players could be influencing public reaction to those episodes. As the players union noted Sunday, the WNBA recently announced a 'No Space for Hate' platform intended, as the league described it, to 'combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces – from online discourse to in-arena behavior.' Regarding the alleged comments in the Fever-Sky game, the WNBPA said it trusted the league to 'thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.'
Japan Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
WNBA vows to investigate racial comments directed at Angel Reese during opener
The WNBA is investigating allegations of hateful, racial comments made by a fan at the combative season opener between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Saturday 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." The Women's National Basketball Players Association also addressed the reports of "hateful comments" in a statement Sunday, saying, "Such behavior is unacceptable in 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 WNBPA added. The statements did not indicate who was the target of the remarks, but the Indianapolis Star and other outlets reported that Sky forward Angel Reese was the target. Some social media users alleged that the ABC/ESPN broadcast of the game picked up the incident in question. One video showed a male fan — wearing a red replica Caitlin Clark jersey with matching shorts — sitting courtside and making high-pitched noises while Reese shot a free throw with 4:38 left in the third quarter. The man then stood and yelled in Reese's direction after she missed the free throw. Reese was at the line — and Indiana's sellout crowd was particularly charged up — because Clark had been tagged with a flagrant foul when she raked her arm across Reese's right arm while breaking up a potential Reese layup. Reese landed hard on the floor, but rose quickly and strode in Clark's direction, incensed. While Clark turned her back to Reese and walked away, Fever teammate Aliyah Boston stepped in to slow Reese and they exchanged words that led to a technical foul for both players. It wasn't the first time Clark and Reese have competed fiercely on the court. Their rivalry dates back to their college days, when Reese played for NCAA champion LSU and Clark starred for Iowa. LSU beat the Hawkeyes 102-85 in the 2023 title game in a tense atmosphere. On Thursday, the day before the tipoff of the current WNBA season began, the league unveiled its "No Space for Hate" campaign. The policy aims, among other things, to protect the WNBA community from hate speech and harassment. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert included these words as part of her statement: "We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol. That means turning our values into action: strengthening digital and physical security, expanding access to mental health resources, and unifying our message across the league. It's our responsibility to protect what makes this sport so special and ensure we continue to inspire the next generation of women's basketball fans."
