In recent days, the WNBA and much of its broader ecosystem — including the players' union, the athletes themselves, and even some members of the media covering the league — have lost some of their love for it.
Makes me wonder if the WNBA is really ready for prime time?.
This accumulation of absurdities began last week when the Indiana Fever lost in the playoffs to the Connecticut Sun, ending Caitlin Clark's incredible record-breaking rookie season.
There's still a lot to be said about playoff basketball, and yet the discussion has devolved into another fight session.
“I don't think I've ever experienced a racist comment like the one from an Indiana Fever fan in my 11-year career,” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas told reporters after Game 2. told. I have never been called anything like what I am called on social media. ”
Chicago Sky's Angel Reese also joined the pile-on. Afterward, Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner said she “doesn't appreciate new fans sitting there and shouting racist slurs at me, my teammates, my opponents.” However, there are no reports of such behavior occurring during the match. Except Clark has fans. It was removed during the second game of the series.
Iresponse, The WNBA issued an empty statement that basically said, “Don't be racist.”
Naturally, the media questioned Clark and his teammates about unspecified bad behavior by “fans.” what to do they are Do I have to say something about Fever696969 writing bigoted tweets?
“They're not fans,” Clark said. “That's a troll.” (Never mind that other players and journalists constantly cite Clark's own race to explain her popularity.)
Meanwhile, Fever guard Erika Wheeler and head coach Christy Sides revealed a reality. They, too, are the targets of online slander from faceless actors. difference?
“We don't care about that,” Wheeler said. “Because what’s important is this organization and us winning games.”
Afterwards, USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan, who is writing a book about Clark, told the Sun Stars' Dijonai Carrington that the black eye he gave the rookie in Game 1 of the playoffs on September 22 was intentional. I asked him if it was something like that and if he laughed after the fact. Carrington coped well and said no in both cases.
And move on. But that's not the case, the players' association released a pathetic, flimsy statement last Friday saying Brennan was ineligible.
“To non-professional media people like Christine Brennan: You are not fooling anyone. That so-called interview in the name of journalism has been labeled as racist, homophobic, and offensive on social media. It was a blatant attempt to co-opt a professional athlete into a false narrative designed to fuel a misogynistic rant. We cannot hide behind tenure…” the statement reads. . “You have chosen to be vile and completely dishonest.”
Brennan was a pioneering female journalist whose sharp elbows allowed her to roam NFL locker rooms during the Reagan administration, long before women occupied them. Long before #MeToo. More than 10 years ago, many of the current players walked on this earth.
She's not looking for cheap “gotcha” quotes to go viral, she's asking questions to write nuanced stories using original sources. Also called journalism.
Perhaps she would have been accepted if she had interrogated Clark and her teammates about the anonymous X-user and not mentioned what actually happened on the court. They cheered.
And there are writers too. frankie de la cletaswrote a woke horror fantasy for ESPN's race and gender specialty, Andscape. In it, Dela Cletas wrote that he felt “dangerous” during the second game against Fever Sun.
“The crowd erupted every time the Fever scored, but it never felt like the fans were rooting for the team,” Delacretas wrote. “It felt like a threat. There was an eerie atmosphere in the building,” one fan told me. WNBA games used to feel like mini-Pride events, but this time around, it was a MAGA rally. He seems to have said that it was something like this.
I've never been to Pride or a MAGA rally, but I did go to see the Philadelphia Eagles at the Veterinary Club in the 80's and 90's. So I know a thing or two about harsh environments.
This game, full of little girls wearing Clark jerseys, feels like Romper Room in comparison.
No player may be subjected to any form of harassment. But the sad reality is that online abuse is now part of the fame game. The bigger the stage, the hotter the spotlight. This is common for male hoopsters, but you know what they don't do? Please give me oxygen. Or use it for victimhood influence.
And let's tell the truth: Before Clark arrived, WNBA Twitter wasn't exactly utopian.
The league took notice. Now that they've all arrived, some fans, media members and players want to control who can enter the tent and police any speech. The obsession with race and privilege remains.
But sometimes I think they forget that the B in WNBA stands for basketball.
