It was a great opportunity to condemn the racism some people have. WNBA When it comes to what players have been through this season, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert was completely off the mark.
Engelbert, in an interview on CNBC's “Power Lunch,” was asked how the league could address the online hate players have received, but did not answer questions that mentioned race or sexual orientation.
First, here is the full question that anchor Tyler Mathisen asked Engelbert:
“It seems to be going in a darker, more threatening direction on some social media channels, with race being brought into the conversation, sometimes sexual orientation being brought into the conversation. How do you get ahead of that or act as a league when your two most visible players, not personally, but their fan bases, are making very unkind comments about the other?”
Read Engelbert's full response below (video below).
“What's great about the league right now is that it sits at the intersection of culture, sports, fashion and music. WNBA players, for example, are really seen as cultural icons now. When that happens, you get attention. There's no indifference. Everybody's interested. If you remember back, it's a little like the Bird-Magic moment in 1979, when two rookies came in from a college rivalry, one white and one black. And we had that moment with those two. But one thing I know about sports is that you need rivalries. If you have rivalries, people want to watch important games between rivals. Not everyone is going to be nice to each other. Social media is different now than it was in 1979, when it didn't exist, but I always tell my players, and I said that a long time ago: If someone is typing something and you don't want them to give you advice, ignore them. It's a balance, but in terms of marketing budgets, corporate partners are much more willing to support these players than they were five years ago because they understand the benefits of having women, and diverse women, representing their brands.”
There are a few obvious problems with Engelbert's statement. First, if the question about rivalry was asked in a vacuum, this response would Done However, Mathisen in particular He noted the “scary changes” of social media, “where race has been brought into the conversation, where sexuality has been brought into the conversation.”
At the very least, the commissioner's first response should have been to immediately condemn the racism, homophobia, and other bigotry that WNBA players have faced in the league this season. In an ideal world, it would have gone further and detailed how the league plans to mitigate the online harassment players have endured, and that their well-being is a priority above all else. (Sky, for example, Launching an AI campaign This is to prevent online harassment and bullying this season.
Instead, Engelbert used the moment as an opportunity to discuss how the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese was financially lucrative, without addressing the darker side of the internet that it brought to the fore. While Cathy Engelbert cannot be held responsible for the actions of all her fans, she is right to condemn these actions.
Moreover, by telling players to ignore the comments, Engelbert suggested they weren't taking the issue seriously enough and not realizing that it's about more than just mean comments. We've seen the nasty images of black WNBA players with their faces pasted onto victims of police brutality, and many other nasty and hateful comments online, but there have also been incidents where that hatred has spilled offline. Sky players Being harassed outside a hotelor worse.
In her new podcast,An unashamed angelWhen asked about his rivalry with Clark, Reese revealed some things he went through.
“Kaitlyn's a great player and I've always thought she was a great player, so I really think it's down to the fans. Her fans, Iowa fans and Indiana fans. They're running for her and I respect that out of respect. But I think sometimes it's very disrespectful and there's a lot of racism, but I don't think she's against it at all. But as far as death threats, like people coming to my address and following me around the house, that's it. So many times, literally, people have made AI pictures of me naked. They've sent it to my family and my uncle has sent it to me and is like, 'You're naked on Instagram?' It's tough to see that and it's really tough for me to have to go through that and it's tough to see other players have to go through that now, but at the end of the day it's a sport that we both love and there's no hate.”
Maybe Engelbert didn't know that Reese had to deal with death threats, being followed, and having nude images generated by AI, so it's her job to know and stay up to date on what issues female players in the league are facing. Ignoring them because it's easier is not acceptable.
While many WNBA players did not explicitly comment on Engelbert's remarks, several players, including the Chicago Sky's Michaela Onyenwere and Briana Turner, the Las Vegas Aces' Alesha Clark, Queen Egbo and Sydney Colson, and the Connecticut Sun's Di'Jonai Carrington, sent out timely tweets that appeared to respond to the remarks that emerged.
My eyes must be deceiving me, because it's impossible
— Briana Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) September 10, 2024
Turner too Tweeted“I stand against all forms of discrimination, hatred and bigotry, especially when it comes to sport. The intersection of racism and sport should always be rejected. It doesn't matter how big your platform is when it comes to standing up for what's right. There are no excuses.”
Given that the league is in a critical period of growth, the consequences of the commissioner's words (or lack thereof) could have lasting effects. At this point, it's crucial that players feel protected by the league — at least as much as possible. And it's also crucial that fans who engage in this kind of behavior feel like they won't be tolerated any more. Denying some of the things the players have had to deal with would have been the bare minimum response. But Engelbert completely missed that opportunity.
