WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert face credibility issue regarding player harassment

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark didn’t like what she heard from a fan late in the first quarter of Wednesday’s playoff loss at Connecticut and motioned for officials to remove the man from his second-row seat. In the relative blink of an eye, security tapped the person on the shoulder and escorted him to a less visible area, where a discussion took place.

Ultimately, the person was allowed to return to his seat. And although the incident lasted only a few minutes, the optics figure to linger within the WNBA community because they raised the question of whether the league has a double standard when dealing with harassment complaints. More starkly, the swift resolution of a complaint from a White athlete stood out against the months of silence Black players received from the league office as they were targets of race-fueled hate on social media and in arenas.

The influx of attention to the WNBA that followed Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese into the league has threatened the reputation it has worked hard to cultivate, for inclusivity, empathy and tolerance. It also has called into question the leadership of commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who contributed to the toxicity earlier this month when she ostensibly said racism is good for a growing business.

She was asked during a CNBC interview what the league was doing to stay ahead of the “darker” and “more menacing” commentary from fan bases on social media. Instead of directly condemning the vitriol, she sidestepped the question by suggesting that the rivalry between Clark and Reese is good because it has brought a lot of eyes and interest to the league, not to mention more corporate dollars to players. They should simply ignore unsavory comments, she said.

She may not have meant to imply that increased revenue is an acceptable excuse for overt racism, but that’s how the players union and some of its members interpreted her words. Their public condemnation of Engelbert’s comments caused the commissioner to clarify her remarks the following day on social media — “To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else,” she posted — and send letters to every player in the league promising future engagement.

That was a positive, if obvious, first step for a problem that continues to worsen. Connecticut standout Alyssa Thomas spoke about it Wednesday night after knocking the Fever out of the playoffs.

“In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced (anything like) the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,” she said, adding: “It’s unacceptable, honestly. There’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media. There’s no place for it. Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names. … Something needs to be done.”

The WNBA issued a statement condemning racism and pledging to work with teams, arenas and law enforcement to address the issue, but what does that really mean? And why should anyone believe Engelbert has the answer? It’s mind-numbing how ill-prepared she has been to meet this moment, even when everyone knew Clark and Reese were bringing large and loyal fan bases to the league that tend to fall along racial and cultural lines.

Engelbert’s failure to get it right the first time was disappointing and disturbing because you only get one chance to make a first impression on a topic of such importance.

Connecticut wing DiJonai Carrington provided a reminder of the league’s sidestepping before Wednesday’s game with a post on her Instagram story. It featured a screenshot of an email she received after she inadvertently, according to her and Clark, poked Clark in the eye in Game 1. The email called her a “worthless n—– b—-” and said, “I hope someone rapes you and cuts your head off.”

Some fans at Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday went beyond the normal cheers and jeers seen at most sporting events. A woman wore a T-shirt that read “BAN NAILS,” and held up hands that featured uncomically long nails made of colored paper, a troubling caricature of Carrington and Black culture. Another man, wearing a red Donald Trump baseball cap, held up a sign that read “Make Basketball Great again #22,” a nod to Clark’s jersey number. So much for those calls to keep politics out of sports, right?

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner said Thursday there should be a uniform harassment policy.

“I don’t appreciate the new fans that sit there and yell racial slurs at myself, my teammates and the people that I play against,” she said, adding: “We all deserve to play in a safe environment.”

Carrrington’s girlfriend is NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Fever. Following Wednesday’s game, Smith disclosed that Carrington has been followed and received death threats.  Reese has described receiving the same treatment after mocking Clark in LSU’s NCAA championship game victory two seasons ago. She expanded on that Thursday in a social media post.

“For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative,” she wrote. “They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences of things that have happened to me but I’ve also allowed this to happen to me for way too long and now other players in this league are dealing with & experiencing the same things. This isn’t ok at all. Anything beyond criticism about playing the game we love is wrong. I’m sorry to all the players that have/continue to experience the same things I have.”

Clark on Friday also criticized the attacks in terms similar to comments she has made previously this season.

“Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats,” she said. “Those aren’t fans. Those are trolls and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA.”

While Clark’s sentiments are welcome, calling these attackers “trolls” is too simplistic and dismissive. Racist attacks are perpetrated by racists. This isn’t about being edgy or simply gaslighting.

The league and its teams are not helpless in this matter. Hate can never be fully eradicated; it’s as much a part of this country’s history as stars and stripes. But there are steps that can be taken. For one, teams can control who and what are brought into their arenas. The only reason someone would connect Trump’s campaign slogan to a sporting event featuring predominately Black and/or queer women is to provoke a response that has nothing to do with basketball. Ditto for the woman wearing Wolverine-like paper fingernails.

Teams also can cross-check the names on social media accounts that post hateful content with names of season ticket holders. If a match is found, that person can be banned from attending games.

Lastly, Engelbert can hire someone who has the expertise and skill to help the league navigate the intersectionality of race, culture, sexuality and misogyny. That person would help restore the league’s reputation as a place where the concerns of Black and queer players are as important as those of a straight, White, Midwesterner.

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(Photo of Cathy Engelbert: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)