Caitlin Clark denounces racist fan behavior after WNBA playoff exit: ‘Those aren’t fans, those are trolls’

Clark’s teammates and opponents have been targeted online and in person throughout the season

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After toxic fan behavior seemed to reach a boiling point earlier this week, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark condemned the racism and hate that has been directed at WNBA players this season. The rookie was asked about the issue during her end-of-season news conference on Friday.

“Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, (or) hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats,” Clark said. “Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league.”

Online hate is a problem that the WNBA has been dealing with all season, as an influx of new fans also led to an increase in hateful comments directed at some of the league’s Black players. Clark has driven a lot of new attention to the league, but her popularity has also brought more vitriol from trolls who claim to be fans of Clark or the Fever.

Clark has pushed back against that idea before: “People should not be using my name to push those agendas,” she said in June.

On Friday, Clark said that she wants to focus on promoting positive attention in the league.

“There are so many great players, there are so many great teams, there are so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated, and for me that’s why I became a fan of this league,” Clark said. “These people were my idols. I grew up wanting to be like them. So I think continuing to uplift and represent this league in a positive way is the best thing that we can do.”

Throughout the year, Clark’s teammates and opponents have been targets, both online and in person, of racist and hateful comments. However, things reached a boiling point this week during the WNBA playoffs, as the Connecticut Sun swept the Indiana Fever to advance to the semifinals. Sun guard DiJonai Carrington received significant abuse — including death threats — after accidentally poking Clark in the eye during Game 1.

After Game 2, Connecticut star Alyssa Thomas addressed the issue, saying that the online hate this year had been worse than in previous seasons.

“I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media and there’s no place for it,” Thomas said in a postgame news conference.

The WNBA released a statement Wednesday condemning racism and hate against players.

“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 said.

The WNBPA speaks out

On Friday, the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) released a statement on social media standing up for the players, and calling out USA Today columnist Christine Brennan by name. On Tuesday, Brennan asked Carrington if she deliberately hit Clark in the eye, which the WNBPA alleged was a “blatant attempt to bait a professional athlete into participating in a narrative that is false and designed to fuel racist, homophobic and misogynistic vitriol on social media.”

In the statement, the WNBPA called on USA Today to address what it calls “clear bias and ulterior motives” in Brennan’s reporting.

“Our relationship with the media is a delicate one that we will continue to strengthen because the media is essential to growing the game,” the WNBPA wrote. “But the players are entitled to better. They are entitled to professionalism.”

Later Friday, USA Today released a statement supporting Brennan, saying “We reject the notion that the interview perpetuated any narrative other than to get the player’s perspective directly.”