Boom of women's sports
The WNBA says it cannot substantiate claims that racist instrumentality behaviour took spot during a crippled successful Indianapolis betwixt the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever earlier this month.
The league said its probe included gathering accusation from fans, squad and arena staff, arsenic good arsenic an "audio and video reappraisal of the game."
"We admit the speedy enactment by the league and the Indiana Fever to instrumentality this substance earnestly and to investigate," Chicago Sky CEO and President Adam Fox said successful a statement. "This process demonstrates the league's beardown stance connected stopping hatred astatine each WNBA games and events, and we volition proceed to enactment those efforts."
The WNBA, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the investigation, was looking into claims that racist comments were directed toward Chicago's Angel Reese by fans during the nonaccomplishment to WNBA rookie of the twelvemonth Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Indiana won the crippled handily, 93-58.
Chicago Sky guardant Angel Reese shoots during a WNBA hoops crippled against the Indiana Fever successful Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025.
AJ Mast / AP
Reese, who is Black, and Clark, who is White, were gathering for the seventh clip successful their ongoing — and much-talked-about — rivalry. Clark aboriginal said she did not perceive immoderate racist remarks during that game, but acknowledged that it was loud in Indiana's arena passim the game.
"It's ace large successful here, and though I didn't perceive anything, I deliberation that's wherefore they're doing the investigation," Clark said earlier this month. "That's wherefore they're looking into it. That doesn't mean thing happened, truthful I'll conscionable spot the league's investigation, and I'm definite they'll bash the close thing."
Both teams had antecedently issued statements supporting the investigation, arsenic did the WNBA Players Association. The Sky were playing successful Phoenix connected Tuesday. The WNBPA did not contented immoderate contiguous remark aft the league's announcement.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever plays against the Chicago Sky astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse connected May 17, 2025 successful Indianapolis, Indiana.
Getty Images
"We admit the swift and thorough process undertaken by the WNBA to analyse these allegations, which were not substantiated," Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said Tuesday successful a connection distributed by the Fever. "At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, we are committed to providing the champion imaginable hoops acquisition for players and fans wherever hatred code has perfectly nary place. Indiana is location to the world's top fans, and we look guardant to an breathtaking play of Fever basketball."
Reese was asked earlier this period if she was capable to supply the WNBA with details astir the incident. She did not connection specifics connected if she had done so, saying "that's not a maine question." She besides did not uncover what benignant of comments were made, oregon immoderate different specifics astir what prompted the investigation.
But moments earlier, successful that aforesaid availability with reporters, Reese said she was receiving wide enactment from crossed the league due to the fact that of the alleged incident.
"Obviously, there's nary spot successful this league for that," Reese said astatine that time. "I deliberation the WNBA and our squad and our enactment has done a large occupation supporting me. ... Going done this full process, if it tin hap to me, it tin hap to anyone."
English (US) ·