Called out by Alyssa Thomas, WNBA condemns hate speech by fans

Alyssa Thomas, DiJonai Carrington and DeWanna Bonner of the Sun smile and interact during a game

Sept. 26, 2024 12:13 PM PT

Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas was asked Wednesday night about her team’s ability to “shut out the noise” that has come on social media during its WNBA playoff series against the Indiana Fever.

Thomas gave a thoughtful answer that ended with a plea to the league to help shut down the noise.

After Connecticut’s series-clinching 87-81 win over Indiana, Thomas said she had never experienced the sort of “racial comments” that she’d seen from the Fever’s fan base. “I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media and there’s no place for it.”

“It’s uncalled for and something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or this league checking. There’s no time for it anymore,” she added.

Soon after, the WNBA released a statement backing Thomas and the rest of the league’s players.

“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world. 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. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement as necessary.”

Before the game, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington posted a screenshot on her Instagram Stories of a shockingly graphic and racist message she had received the previous day. During Sunday’s series opener, Carrington had poked Fever star Caitlin Clark in the face while making a play for the ball, resulting in a black eye for Clark.

Both Carrington and Clark have stated that the contact was unintentional.

Carrington was sitting next to Thomas during Wednesday’s postgame news conference. At times, she nodded along as her teammate spoke.

“Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names,” Thomas said. “I mean, we already see what’s happening in the world and what we have to deal with in that aspect. And we come to play basketball for our job and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and have social media blown up over things like that.”

Speaking to reporters by herself, Connecticut coach Stephanie White was told of Thomas’ comments and had plenty to say on the matter.

“I feel like we have allowed trolls in social media to frame the narrative of what the story is. And it’s unacceptable,” White said. “We have to do a better job.”

She added: “I just encourage everybody to take a step back and think about if it’s your sons or your daughters or your nieces or your nephews or your children, for goodness’ sake, because if my children were being harassed like this, I’m not sure what I would do. ... And I’m not talking about criticism ’cause that comes with the territory. That is what it is. That’s part of it. But the narrative doesn’t need to be controlled by people who are just on their keyboards spewing hate and negative vitriol everywhere.”

Fever coach Christie Sides talked to reporters before the Sun players and coach. Answering a question on what she told her team after the season-ending loss, Sides also spoke out against the “unacceptable” behavior the players have endured.

“There’s a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there that’s happening, and it’s unacceptable,” Sides said. “There’s no reason for it. And these guys have to listen to and watch that. Social media is their life. This is 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.”

She added: “It’s just this new world that we’re in, and it is just not acceptable when it gets personal for these guys to have to deal with that.”