The Connecticut Sun eliminated Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever from the WNBA playoffs on Wednesday, and her fans weren’t happy. They were so harsh, the Sun’s coach and one of her players called for the league to get a handle on what they said was abuse.
Fans let Clark hear it too.
The player-fan divide was obvious during Game 2’s series finale, as Clark notified a referee about an abusive fan during the first quarter of her team’s 87-81 road loss. Security officials escorted the heckling fan from the Uncasville, Connecticut, arena.
Players noted that fan vitriol, whether beside the court or online, has become increasingly common this season. While Clark has brought a legion of supporters to the WNBA, opposing players said the league’s atmosphere has suffered.
“I think that in my 11-year career, I never experienced the racial comments like from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said. “It’s unacceptable, and honestly there’s no place for it.”
Sun coach Stephanie White confirmed her players’ concerns before urging the league to intervene.
“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.”
After the game, the WNBA issued a statement on social media in support of its players and coaches.
“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 league said, noting that it would monitor “threat-related activity” and involve law enforcement when necessary.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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