Utah women’s basketball coach Lynn Roberts said Monday that her team was forced to change hotels upon arriving at the NCAA Tournament due to a “racial hate crime.”
Roberts made this revelation after his team lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the tournament. He said the incident occurred Thursday night after the team arrived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for a game in Spokane, Washington. Without going into details, Roberts said the incident was a nuisance to the party and raised concerns about its safety.
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Utah head coach Lynn Roberts speaks during a press conference after playing against Gonzaga University in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, March 25, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (AP Photo/Kwak Yong)
“There have been several instances of some type of racial hate crime against our program, (which) has been incredibly upsetting to all of us,” Roberts told reporters. “In our world, in sports and in college, this is shocking. There’s a lot of diversity on college campuses, but we don’t really get to see that diversity.”
Utah State, South Dakota State University and the University of California, Irvine were staying in Idaho due to a lack of hotel space in the Spokane area.
“Racism is real and it’s happening and it’s a terrible thing. So for our players, whether it’s white, black, green or whatever, nobody knows how to deal with it and it’s really It was infuriating,” Roberts said. “It’s outrageous that our players and staff don’t feel safe in an NCAA Tournament environment.”
Utah guard Kennedy McQueen, center and teammates celebrate during the NCAA Tournament against South Dakota State on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (AP Photo/Kwak Yong)
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She called the incident “distracting, upsetting and disappointing.”
“This should be a positive for everyone involved. This should be a joyous time for our program, and it’s disappointing to see this experience in such a dark light.”
Roberts said Friday that the NCAA and Gonzaga University supported Utah’s hotel move.
Utah guard Lani White, coach Lynn Roberts and team members celebrate during a game against South Dakota State on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (AP Photo/Kwak Yong)
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“We are frustrated to see that a university that is always a great visitor is somehow compromised by this situation and does not reflect the values, standards, and beliefs for which Gonzaga University is held accountable. , I’m very sorry,” Gonzaga said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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