Caitlin Clark and other Indiana Fever players opened up on the “hateful fab comments” towards Angel Reese during the season opener.
According to ESPN, after the Women’s National Basketball Association began investigating the allegation that the American basketball professional, Reese, faced “hateful” and racial comments during the opening match between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 17, the players came forward to support the investigation.
Although no one from the Fever side heard anything specific from the crowd during their 93-58 win over Sky, they acknowledged the importance of the investigation.
Caitlin Clark on “hateful comments” towards Angel Reese
Clark, who shared a heated moment on the court with rival Resse during Saturday’s showdown, said that there is no place for such comments in basketball.
She asserted, “There's no place for that in our game, there's no place for that in society. Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena, whether player or fan -- to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that (investigation). I appreciate that the Fever organisation has been at the forefront of that."
Aliyah Boston, who intervened during Clark and Reese's fight and separated them, stressed that fans must learn to respect players.
Boston said, “No type of hate is ever welcomed here. As a player, you just have to stay strong and be able to call it out if something happens. We, as athletes, have to make sure that fans know it's OK to be passionate, to cheer us on, and to get loud. But at the end of the day, it's about respect.”
“If it was your daughter out on the court, you would want that respect being shown. That has to be the mindset for every fan when they step into an arena," she added.
What happened during Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever?
The WNBA on Sunday announced that they are investigating the allegation of hateful comments at Reese after a heated moment with Clark in Indianapolis.
Social media posts during the game claimed that hateful remarks or noises were made toward Reese after a third-quarter incident when Clark fouled Reese to prevent an open layup attempt and the Sky player objected to the foul and tried to confront her.
Although Clark calmly went aside without reacting, the incident became the highlight of the game.
