After big playoff win, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas condemns racist comments toward players

CNN
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Connecticut Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas made the comments following the franchise's decisive playoff series win over the Indiana Fever.

“I don't think I've ever experienced racist comments from the Indiana Fever fan base in my 11-year career,” Thomas told reporters after the win in Uncasville, Connecticut.

During the first game of the postseason series on September 22, Thomas' teammate DiJonai Carrington collided with rookie phenom Caitlin Clark and made contact with Clark's eye.

Both Clark and Carrington denied there was any malicious intent behind the incident. Speaking to reporters before Game 2, Carrington said she had no intention of hitting anyone in the eye and was unaware that she had made contact with the Fever guard.

Carrington's friend, Indiana Fever player NaLyssa Smith, described some of the treatment Carrington endured.

“My friend has been receiving death threats, being stalked and insulted in all kinds of ways,” Smith posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I’ve never been called what I’ve been called on social media and there’s no place for it,” Thomas added after the game.

Thomas said it is now up to authorities to prevent this from happening in the future.

“We come to play basketball because of our job and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and blow up social media over stuff like that.”

Sun head coach Stephanie White supported Thomas' call to action.

“We have seen a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia across our country,” White said. “Sports is no exception and, frankly, that is unacceptable.”

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides also addressed the abuse players face.

“There is a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there and that is unacceptable,” Sides told reporters after the game.

“If it gets personal, there’s no reason for me to do it. These guys need to listen and watch – social media is their life. That's exactly what they do. And they have to read and see these things all the time, and just all the stories that are made up of what people see or think they see… It's just not acceptable when it gets personal.”

The WNBA issued a statement following Thomas' comments.

“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the best athletes in the world. While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams and anyone associated with the league.

“League security actively monitors threat-related activities and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate action, including involving law enforcement as necessary,” the league said Wednesday.

Thomas and the Sun face the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals on Sunday in Minneapolis.