Alyssa Thomas and Stephanie White said racist and homophobic comments directed at WNBA players need to stop.
The Connecticut Sun star and coach commented after their team finished off a sweep of the Indiana Fever in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday night.
“I think that in my 11-year career I never experienced the racial comments like from the Indiana Fever fan base,” she said. “It's unacceptable and honestly there's no place for it. We've been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I've never been called the things that I've been called on social media, and there's no place for it.”
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Thomas knows the game has grown this year, with many new fans watching on television and in the stands. But the All-Star forward doesn't want fans who are disrespectful to the players in the game.
“Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don't want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial things,” she said.
White defended her team and its players, while noting it's a broader issue.
“We've seen a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia throughout the course of our country," White said. "Sport is no exception, and it's unacceptable to be quite honest.”
White, who played and coached in Indiana, applauded her team and other franchises around the league for staying professional and not going back at the criticism.
“It's a lot of teams in our league and a lot of athletes, not just in our league, that get attacked like this,” she said. “We continue to encourage them to silence the noise, control what they can control.”
Indiana coach Christie Sides has seen her players get criticized on social media as well.
“It’s a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there that’s happening, and it’s unacceptable,” she said. “This is basketball, and this is their job, and they’re doing the best they can. And when it gets personal, to me, there’s no reason for it. These guys have to listen and watch — social media is their life. That’s just what they do. And they have to read and see these things constantly, and just all the stories that are made up of what people see or think they see. It is just not acceptable when it gets personal.”
The WNBA issued a statement on social media defending its players shortly after Thomas' and White's postgame comments.
“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” the statement read. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league.”
The statement added the league would involve law enforcement as necessary.
WNBA players and their union spoke out against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert a few weeks ago when she failed to condemn racist and bitter criticism from some fans toward the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry during a TV interview. She later clarified that she’s vehemently opposed to “hate or racism.”