WNBA condemns ‘racist, derogatory’ fan behavior

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) released a statement condemning racist and derogatory fan behavior after Connecticut Sun player Alyssa Thomas called on the organization to help her weather attacks.

“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 WNBA said in a statement posted to social media.

Thomas told the media Wednesday night she was the target of racial comments made from the Indiana Fever fan base. The Sun played the Fever on Wednesday, winning 87-81.

In a statement, she said she had never experienced racial comments like that in her 11-year career, calling the behavior “unacceptable.”

After the game, she called on the league to do something about the treatment she experienced.

“It’s uncalled for, and something needs to be done, you know, whether it’s them checking their fans, or this league,” she said at a postgame press conference.

The WNBA said the league is actively monitoring “threat-related activity” and will work with teams to take measures that may include involving law enforcement, “as necessary.”

The WNBA is seeing unprecedented popularity, largely due to the following of Indiana’s No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark.

Thomas said they are being professional about what happened, but, “I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for it.”

“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.