Caitlin Clark Slams 'Trolls' Making Racist, Hateful Comments to WNBA Players: 'Those Aren't Fans'

Mar. 15, 2025

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever.Photo:Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty

Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty

The Fever rookie said that many of the people spewing hatred are parading as fans to push a hateful agenda. “Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization and the WNBA.”

Clark went on to tell the media: “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 is the best thing we can do.”

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TheAP rookie of the yearsaid that there are “so many great players” and “great teams” in the league with “many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated” in the WNBA rather than pitting players against one another, not unlike the viewers who have compared her and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese this season.

“For me, that’s why I became a fan of this league,” Clark said of the WNBA’s talented player pool. “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,” she concluded.

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever.Joe Buglewicz/Getty

Joe Buglewicz/Getty

On Sept. 25, sports writer Frankie de la Cretazpostedon X (formerly known as Twitter) from the Fever’s playoff game against the Connecticut Sun, revealing that several instances of racism had occurred at the arena.

“I’m at the Sun/Fever game and the vibe is HORRENDOUS,” de la Cretaz wrote. “The woman behind me was mocking DiJonai’s eyelashes & only stopped when my partner turned around & told her to stop being racist. There’s a man in a MAGA hat. Then there’s THIS woman in a “ban nails” shirt & cartoonishly fake nails.”

During Engelbert’s appearance onCNBC’sPower Lunch, the commissioner was asked how she tries to “stay ahead of” racist and misogynistic vitriol, and how she tries to “tamp it down” when some fans use a “darker” and “more menacing” tone when speaking about women’s basketball players in a way “where race has been introduced in the conversation, where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation.”

Engelbert, 59, compared the rookies to NBA hall-of-famers Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and noted how rivalries are good for the league’s viewership and business — an answer that didn’t sit right with many players in her league.

“This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model,” Jacksonsaidin a statement regarding Engelbert’s response. “This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago.”

“Racism, and the toll it takes on everyone, is never tolerable, let alone justifiable, in the name of economic growth,” Jackson said.

source: people.com