Caitlin Clark calls out 'trolls' amid racist comments, threats to DiJonai Carrington
Caitlin Clark called out the trolls and denounced all forms of racism and hate aimed at her WNBA peers following the Indiana Fever’s playoff elimination.
The Connecticut Sun took care of business against Clark and company earlier this week. During the series, DiJonai Carrington of the Sun received threats after a foul on the Fever star didn’t get called.
Carrington – the WNBA’s Most Improved Player this year – posted a screenshot of one of the threats against her after Connecticut’s Game 1 victory, which also saw her poke Clark in the eye.
While the play generated some questions about whether it was intentional after slowing it down, both players were emphatic that wasn’t the case, since the WNBA is a physical league and it was part of the game. Following the series coming to a close, Clark commented on the matter as a whole, believing there’s no place for that type of discourse in the WNBA.
“It’s definitely upsetting,” Clark asserted, via James Boyd of The Athletic. “Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hurtful comments and threats. You know, those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA, but there are a lot of really good fans, whether they’ve been fans for 20-plus years, or whether they’re new fans in our league.
“I think continuing to uplift this league in a very positive light the best thing we can do, because there are so many great players, there’s so many great teams, there are so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated, and for me that’s why I became a fan of this league, these people were my idols. I grew up wanting to be like them.
“So, I think continuing to uplift, and represent this league in a positive way, is the best thing that we can do.”
In addition to Clark’s plea, the WNBA put out a statement on the matter earlier this week, where they echoed a similar sentiment, saying that they are monitoring any threats made.
“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” the statement read. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures to include involving law enforcement, as necessary.”
Alas, while Caitlin Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA may be over, she’ll continue to speak out against the unfair treatment her peers in the have received, as the league’s grows in popularity. One thing is for certain, there’s no place for that in the league, and no place for that in sports as a whole.
On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.