Alyssa Thomas is fed up with the Indiana Fever fanbase and their “unacceptable” racist abuse as she stands by Caitlin Clark and the rest of her teammates.
Thomas criticized Fever fans after helping the Connecticut Sun eliminate the Fever from the postseason and advance to the WNBA semifinals.
Inside Mohegan Sun Arena, one fan was heard making fun of Dijonai Carrington’s eyelashes, while another had a T-shirt that read “ban nails” with large fake nails sticking out of each finger.
“There’s been a lot of nonsense, I don’t think in my 11-year career, I’ve ever experienced racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said.
“We had Carrington’s face in a serious matter that happened in this world and it’s unacceptable, honestly. There’s no place for that and we’ve been professional throughout the process, but I’ve never been called the ways I’ve been called on social media.”
Alyssa Thomas speaks out about ‘unacceptable’ racist abuse from Indiana Fever fans
Caitlin Clark’s season ended Wednesday night when the Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun.
Thomas is referring to the eye poke Carrington received in Sunday’s game and whether she intended to hurt Clark.
“And there’s no place for that. Basketball is on the right track, but we don’t want fans who degrade us and call us racist names. We see what’s happening in the world and what we have to deal with in that regard.”
“We come to play basketball as a job and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and have social media blow up because of stuff like that. It’s unnecessary and something needs to be done, whether it’s them controlling their fans or the league doing it. There’s no time for that anymore.”
The WNBA also issued a statement Wednesday night following the Sun’s win over the Fever.
“The WNBA is a competitive league featuring some of the most elite athletes in the world. While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams or anyone affiliated with the league,” the statement read.
‘League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and stadiums to take appropriate action, including involving law enforcement, as necessary.’