OP-ED – Record Viewership, Record Racism: The WNBA can’t have it both ways. Black players deserve better.

By Dawn Montgomery

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE “You a monkey!” That’s what an Indiana fan yelled at Angel Reese as she stepped to the free-throw line at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, on Saturday—allegedly. And the league still hasn’t done a damn thing.

When Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark entered the league last season, everything changed.

More people started watching women’s basketball. Viewership went up. But so did the hate—racist fans, nasty comments online, and an atmosphere that’s gotten hostile, especially toward Black players.

There should be zero tolerance for racism in this league. Period. Instead, the WNBA is willing to look the other way as long as ticket sales keep climbing. No one in charge seems worried about what these players are going through mentally or physically. That has to change, and it starts at the top.

During that Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever game, fans made monkey noises while Reese was at the free-throw line. One fan shouted, “You a monkey!” at her. After Clark’s technical foul on Reese, Fever fans kept at it. I’ve watched the footage. This behavior is flat-out unacceptable, and the league needs to step up—in a real way.

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Let me be straight about Cathy Engelbert. Yes, she’s helped the league grow, but she’s failing these players now. The league has outgrown her. She needs to go. That might be the first real step toward fixing this mess.

These players deserve protection. I’ve been watching the WNBA since day one, and I’ve never seen this level of hatred, especially when Reese and Clark play against each other. The Sky and Fever will meet five more times this season. If nothing changes, this gets worse. Someone could get hurt.

The solution isn’t complicated. Fine or suspend teams when these incidents happen. Make organizations tighten up their security and crowd control. If the fan base cannot behave, then the team should consider playing without any fans present. Drastic? Maybe. But player safety comes first.

I’ve loved this league from the beginning. I held season tickets for the Atlanta Dream from their first game. Back then, the arenas were packed with respectful fans, and players felt safe. That feeling is gone now.

This isn’t the league I fell in love with. It’s become a place that doesn’t protect its Black players. It ignores the concerns raised by fans, players, and reporters when they speak up.

THE WNBA MUST BELIEVE THEIR PLAYERS, FANS, AND MEDIA MEMBERS!

Players and reporters have been talking about how toxic it gets in Indiana. Last September, the WNBA said,
“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” read the statement. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement as necessary.”

The WNBA recently released a statement saying this:

“The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter,” the Women’s National Basketball Players Association shared in a statement. “Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport. Under the WNBA’s ‘No Space for Hate’ policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

I don’t trust them to “thoroughly investigate” anything. They should have been ready for such an event a long time ago. So I’m talking directly to you, the fans. We have to be the change ourselves.

If you’re at a game this season, do this:

• If someone says something racist or inappropriate, try to record it and tell security right away
• If you see a player or fan being mistreated, find security
• After the game, email the home team about what happened
• Then, email the WNBA with the same details. Copy a reporter if you can

We need real documentation, not just tweets. Accountability starts with proof.

Your voice matters. What you see and hear at games matters.

The league knows this. Its “No Space for Hate” campaign is just empty words if they don’t back it up.

So speak up. Report what you see. Record it if you can. Tell the team, tell the league, and tell the media.

Change won’t happen on its own, but we can push for it.

This league has always been about fighting through adversity. But when players have to be resilient without protection, that’s not inspiration—that’s exploitation.

If the WNBA won’t protect its players, it doesn’t deserve its fans.

Protect the players. Believe them. Have their backs.

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