The WNBA is investigating claims of racist language that targeted Chicago Sky star Angel Reese during this weekend’s opening game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Reese’s rivals said this week that she has their full support.
“There’s no place for that in our game; there’s no place for that in society,” Clark said on Monday. “Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena — whether player or fan — to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that [investigation]. I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that.”
Saturday’s season opener between the Fever and Sky featured the latest installment of Reese, who is Black, vs. Clark, who is White, in a rivalry that led to record ratings during their college days and followed them to the WNBA.
Saturday’s game attracted 2.7 million average viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game in ESPN history.
But several fans in attendance said they heard racist comments that targeted Reese during the game. The outrage grew after a third-quarter incident that saw Clark shove Reese after the Chicago forward physically fought for a rebound.
Clark was guilty of a flagrant foul, referees determined. The Fever went on to win 93-58.
The WNBA later announced that it was digging into “hateful fan comments” from the game.
“We, as athletes, have to make sure that fans know it’s OK to be passionate, to cheer us on, to get loud. But at the end of the day, it’s about respect,” Fever forward Aliyah Boston said Monday. “If it was your daughter out on the court, you would want that respect being shown. That has to be the mindset for every fan when they step into an arena.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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