WNBA players deserve better, from fans and their commissioner

A rivalry is not an excuse for racism.

See how easy that is to say? Yet WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert couldn’t even manage that when asked about the revolting harassment and abuse some of her players are experiencing, brushing off their pain and instead spouting a word salad about sponsors and marketing opportunities.

When it became clear her CNBC interview Monday had outraged players, both white and Black, Engelbert compounded the insensitivity with a statement that read like it was written by AI.

“During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else,” Engelbert wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night.

Not good enough. Not anywhere close.

It is gratifying to see the WNBA and other women’s sports get the recognition they’ve long deserved, and the compelling rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark is a large part of that. So, too, Clark’s logo 3s and her dazzling, “did you just see that?” passes.

But it has also emboldened a disgusting element of our society who are using Clark as an excuse to unleash a toxic stew of racism, misogyny and homophobia.

To be clear, Clark has not asked for this. She has specifically said she doesn’t support racism or bigotry and “people should not be using my name to push those agendas.”

That hasn’t stopped it, though.  

Any player who delivers a hard foul on Clark can expect their social media accounts to be flooded with nasty comments. After the Indiana Fever beat the Connecticut Sun last month, one serial troll sent Dijonai Carrington a meme portraying her as George Floyd. Carrington’s great crime? She said earlier in the season that Clark needed to condemn the behavior of these lowlifes claiming to be her fans.

Reese said on her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast last week that she’s had people show up at her address and follow her home. They’ve also, she said, created pornographic images of her using AI and sent them to her family members.

None of that is acceptable, and there is no positive spin to be found in it. If Engelbert needs help saying that, she can take a cue from the withering statement Tuesday night by Terri Jackson, executive director of the WNBA Players Association.

“This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action and, frankly, should have been addressed long ago,” Jackson said in response to Engelbert’s interview.

“Fandom should lift up the game, not tear down the very people who bring it to life,” Jackson added. “Racism, and the toll it takes on everyone, is NEVER tolerable, let alone justifiable, in the name of economic growth. This is about more than just basketball – it’s about respect, accountability and setting the standard for what we will and will not accept in our sport and society.”

Toxicity in sports isn’t new and it certainly isn’t unique to the WNBA. Then-Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison was subjected to racial abuse after a game last season. A Colorado staffer said a Nebraska fan yelled a racial slur at the Buffaloes after their loss to the Cornhuskers last weekend.

There also was a heavy racist undertone to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s rivalry, the closest comparison to Reese and Clark.  

But the W has the added layers of being a league of unapologetically strong women, many of whom are also openly gay.

“There are three different points at which the WNBA can trigger this kind of hatred. So in that sense, I think it’s much more problematic and much more deep-seated,” said Pamela Grundy, co-author of “Shattering the Glass, the Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball,” an updated version of which will be released next year.

“This is not new for women in basketball,” Grundy said. “This is basically a lot of people from a very ugly corner of American society expressing the stuff they express in a lot of different forms, and now they’ve settled on women’s basketball.”

They aren’t really Clark fans, either, said Lou Moore, a history professor at Grand Valley State and author of “The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans and the Making of the Black Quarterback.” Or fans of the W, for that matter, a league that has set the standard in speaking out for equality and defending the marginalized.

“This is people using her as a vehicle for their own hate or misogyny,” Moore said. “Because if you’re a fan, you wouldn’t do that.”

None of this makes it any more tolerable, and that’s where Engelbert so badly missed the mark.

The W is enjoying unprecedented growth, which is reflected in blockbuster TV ratings, increased attendance and more interest from sponsors. Racism, misogyny and homophobia should not be the price WNBA players have to pay in return — and the commissioner of the league shouldn't have to be shamed into saying it.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.