Since the arrival of superstars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the league has exploded in popularity, as evidenced by record numbers and game attendance. However, an unfortunate byproduct of the league’s rapid growth has been people who aren’t actually fans of women’s basketball getting involved and spewing hate at the league’s players, especially on social media.
Earlier in the season, Aces star Chelsea Gray received hateful messages from a fan, which led to an investigation and his being fired from his job.
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“I think as one of the main faces of our league, too, it creates a dialogue that needs to be had. It puts pressure on Cathy, who we’ve been begging to step up for us in these spaces,” Sky veteran Natasha Cloud said, via Front Office Sports. “Now I think it demands her to actually take some initiative and to do something about it. I don’t know what it is that she’s going to do, but I also think that simple statements of not condoning (expletive) is also really good for public relations as well.”
“There’s more work to do.”
Over the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is cracking down and doing what’s necessary to protect its players.
“The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment, and threats directed to our players have no place in sport or anywhere else,” Engelbert said, via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
“There’s more work to do, and we need to make sure we’re doing it.”
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Earlier this month, the league had a meeting with its players aimed at underscoring “the importance of addressing issues early through proactive communication and strengthening the league-union relationship. The league committed to continuing to enhance security resources and will work with the players’ union to explore collaborations with organizations that share the values of our league and advance our shared priorities.
“Yesterday’s discussion marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue, and we are united in our commitment to building on this work together.”
The WNBA knows what’s going on, and it won’t be tolerating it any longer.
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