Smack talk among athletes is common in sports. It’s part psychological advantage, part swagger, and rivalry adds intensity.
It’s one thing when players engage in tension for entertainment value. But when fans take to social media and make dark, menacing statements about athletes, the line between banter and harmful speech is crossed. That’s what’s happening in the WNBA, where fans are using the language of bigotry and masking it as rivalry, subjecting athletes to distress on the job just as the league is experiencing tremendous growth in attendance, TV ratings and sponsorships.
At the center of it all are former college competitors Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, two WNBA rookies. Reese, a black forward for the Chicago Sky, has publicly revealed that her relatives have been sent AI-generated pornographic images of her. On her Unapologetically Angel podcast Reese disclosed that overzealous Clark fans are bent on intimidating her: “There’s a lot of racism... And when it comes to death threats, like I'm talking about people come down to my address, follow me home, it's come down to that.”
Clark, who shattered several NCAA records, is a guard on the Indiana Fever and is already setting WNBA records. She’s being attacked in some corners of social media for getting a disproportionate amount of attention because she is white (70% of the leagues’ players are Black).
Other fans claim black players are becoming more physically aggressive against Clark out of jealousy.
“Nothing proves anti-white hatred like the WNBA celebrating a black lesbian physically assaulting a white girl because they’re mad she’s actually talented,” said @elijahschafer in a post on X about a game in which Reese’s teammate, Chennedy Carter, sent Clark flying to the ground. After another game in which Reese committed a flagrant foul against Clark, @playofflucro added: “Angel is a thug and tried to make a dirty play.”
Clark has disavowed racism and publicly stated she doesn’t want people to push those agendas in her name. As for on-the court behavior, Clark in a post-game interview chalked up the foul as physicality that’s “just part of basketball.”
Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun’s DiJonai Carrington was recently the focus of a racist meme by an X user who superimposed her face over George Floyd’s in an image with Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck. In the image, Chavin’s face has been replaced by Clark’s. Carrington responded to the meme saying, “Imagine thinking George Floyd’s murder is a joke. all because of a basketball game. this is so sick.”
Shouldn’t sports leadership do what it can to ensure a respectful and inclusive workplace? Renee Montgomery, a former WNBA player and co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, said in a recent podcast that she believes something “sinister” is happening with Caitlin's fanbase that “needs to be addressed.”
But that’s not how WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert initially saw it.
On CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Sept. 9, Engelbert dismissed the ugly comments on social media, comparing the Clark-Reese situation to that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1970s. “You need rivalry, that’s what makes people watch,” she said.
Englebert added that she advises players to ignore such comments and emphasized the commercial viability of sports rivalries.
“So it’s balance,” Englebert continued, “but certainly from a marketing dollars [perspective] … the corporate partners are stepping up to endorse these players much more so than they were five years ago, because they see the benefit of having women and diverse women representing their brand.”
While the WNBA commissioner can’t control social media, ignoring the problem isn’t a solution. Racist words and any other kind of offensive language don't have a place in the WNBA or any workplace. Proactive leadership that condemns threatening, racist, and homophobic language helps set a standard for fan behavior, creates a respectful work environment for athletes, and would show that the league values the well-being of its employees as much as its growth.
This is where Reflect AI comes into play. Reflect AI detects harmful, unlawful, and unethical language. Fans posting on platforms like X would be forced to pause if they ran their comments through Reflect AI:
“Nothing proves anti-white hatred like the WNBA celebrating a black lesbian physically assaulting a white girl because they’re mad she’s actually talented.”
“Angel is a thug and tried to make a dirty play.”
“Blk girl can’t play basketball.”
Leaders have an ethical responsibility to set the tone. By not addressing these issues, Engelbert seemed to condone mistreatment, as one fan on X pointed out. “She just admitted that to the WNBA racist and sexual harassment online doesn’t matter as long as it’s putting money in their pockets… sick and disgusting,” said @moonlightmuhl.
The WNBA Players Association wasn’t happy either. Its executive director, Terri Jackson, released a statement condemning Engelbert’s remarks and stressing that “toxic fandom” should never be tolerated or justified in the name of economic growth.”There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments, and misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media,” Jackson wrote, noting, “It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago.”
Engelbert backtracked the next day on X, saying, “During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else.”
By then, the damage was done. Engelbert’s comments reflected a disconnect between WNBA leadership and the players’ experiences. WNBA stars like Brianna Turner and Breanna Stewart expressed disappointment with her response. As Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces told TheNextHoops.com, “It’s pretty clear, there’s a big difference between rivalries and racism. Big difference.”
Amanda Nurse is the editorial and operations coordinator at Alphy.
Reflect AI by Alphy is an AI communication compliance solution that detects and flags language that is harmful, unlawful, and unethical in digital communication, including disabilities discrimination in the workplace and in fair lending practices. Alphy was founded to reduce the risk of litigation from harmful and discriminatory communication while helping employees communicate more effectively.
Contact us for a demo at sales@alphyco.com.