The WNBA is looking into “alleged hateful fan comments” from the game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, according to a statement released by the league on Sunday.
Though the WNBA did not say who was subject to these comments, multiple reports indicate that racial comments were directed at Sky forward Angel Reese by members (or potentially a member) of the Fever home crowd.
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“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,” the league wrote in the statement.
The league initially did not provide any details about the incident, but later clarified its statement was in reference to fan comments. The updated statement was seemingly issued to dispel any connection to Caitlin Clark’s flagrant 1 foul on Reese.
The Fever released its own statement on Sunday, saying that the team was “aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct” during the game on Saturday, and that they were working with the WNBA on the investigation.
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“We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players,” Indiana wrote in the statement.
The Sky also released a statement from team president Adam Fox on Sunday evening, saying that they “welcome” the investigation.
“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 said in the statement.
In a statement shared with media, the WNBA players’ association (WNBPA) wrote that it supported the WNBA’s investigation into “hateful comments” at Saturday’s game.
“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 players’ association wrote.
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The Clark-Reese rivalry, one that began in college, has extended to the WNBA, with the Fever-Sky matchup becoming a Midwest rivalry of its own.
This is not the first time that a WNBA player has been targeted while playing against Clark and the Fever. Last season, then-Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington accidentally poked Clark in the eye during a game. Even though both players thoroughly denied the play was intentional, Carrington received death threats, racial comments and threats of assault in the weeks following.
Carrington’s then-teammate, Alyssa Thomas, told reporters after a game last season that she had “never experienced the racial comments [like I have] from the Indiana Fever fan base.”
“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.
