Caitlin Clark Calls Out ‘Trolls’ amid Abuse of WNBA Players: ‘Those Aren’t Fans’

Adam WellsSeptember 27, 2024

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Caitlin Clark addressed the abuse that her fellow WNBA players have experienced from fans in games against the Indiana Fever.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Clark described the people making any racist and derogatory comments as “trolls” and no one in the league should be subject to any type of verbal abuse.

“Those aren’t fans,” she added.

James Boyd @RomeovilleKidI asked #IndianaFever star Caitlin Clark about the racism and other hate #WNBA players have endured this season:

“Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans. Those are trolls. …” pic.twitter.com/3rgABBFMRZ

Following the Fever’s playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun, Alyssa Thomas told reporters after Game 2 on Wednesday that she “never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base” in her 11-year career that she did during that series.

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

Fever forward NaLyssa Smith posted on X that her girlfriend, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, was receiving death threats, being followed and being “called all type of s–t” after Carrington inadvertently poked Clark in the eye in Game 1.

This isn’t the first time that Fever fans have been called out for making racist and derogatory remarks to an opposing player.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese said on the debut episode of her podcast that she believes Clark doesn’t stand on anything negative the fans say, but those people can get “very disrespectful” to the point they have stalked her going home and sent her death threats.

Unapologetically Angel @angelreeseshowAngel Reese on her relationship with Caitlin Clark 👀

Watch full episode here: https://t.co/PRkTaOQ3PO pic.twitter.com/VXGafURpvk

In the wake of Thomas’ comments, the WNBA issued a statement condemning any “racist, threatening or derogatory comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league.”

WNBA @WNBApic.twitter.com/z6WU4momL0

Clark’s rookie season came to an end on Wednesday when the Fever were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Sun.