Racist and homophobic rhetoric on social media are at the center of a conversation in the WNBA after commissioner Cathy Engelbert failed to condemn either during an interview this week on CNBC.
Hate-filled discourse online is nothing new to players, but a light has been shined on it this season with the influx of attention the league has received in large part because of Sky rookie Angel Reese and Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
‘‘It’s been happening since I got drafted in 2019,’’ Sky forward Brianna Turner said. ‘‘It was probably for sure happening even before that. It’s unfortunate. We can try to call it out on our own pages. How do you convince adults that they shouldn’t be racist, homophobic and sexist?’’
Engelbert had an opportunity to speak out against the racism and homophobia players experience on social media when ‘‘Power Lunch’’ anchor Tyler Mathisen asked her: ‘‘How do you try and stay ahead of that, try and tamp it down?’’
She replied with a response about rivalry being good for business.
‘‘Disappointed but not surprised,’’ Turner said of her reaction to Engelbert’s comments. ‘‘At the end of the day, the WNBA is a business, and her comments reflected her seeing us as part of the business instead of humans, humanity.’’
Before the Sky’s game Wednesday against the Mystics, coach Teresa Weatherspoon shared her reaction to Engelbert’s interview.
‘‘I’m very quiet on things that people say,’’ Weatherspoon said. ‘‘We cannot tolerate racism [or] hatred in any way, especially in this league. That’s what I see and what I feel.’’
Last month, the Sky launched a new initiative using artificial intelligence to prevent online harassment. Each player has an app on their phone that can identify negative posts in their social feeds and block them.
Turner, Reese, guard Chennedy Carter and forward Isabelle Harrison starred in ads promoting the campaign, which is called ‘‘Block the Negativity, Post Up Positivity.’’
Reese has discussed her personal experience with racism and online harassment since her days at LSU. In the first episode of her podcast, ‘‘Unapologetically Angel,’’ she detailed how sexually explicit manufactured pictures of her were sent to family members. Her experience also has included fans getting a hold of her home address and approaching her vehicle.
Reese’s experience highlights the risks associated with treating vitriolic online discourse as something players can ignore, as Engelbert advised them to do.
‘‘I’m sure [Engelbert] is probably doing the best she can do,’’ Turner said. ‘‘But at the end of the day, sometimes your best isn’t good enough, unfortunately. I have confidence that Cathy will grow from this moment. I’m sure she knows a lot of us were disappointed in her comments. She knows she has a really big role in this league as commissioner. I’m hopeful that she can learn from this moment.’’
Roster news
The Sky’s roster grew to 10 players with the addition of 6-2 forward Kaela Davis via a hardship contract. Davis last played in the WNBA in 2022 and has appeared in seven games with three franchises, including one with the Sky.
The Sky could add one more player to their roster but only if they rule shooting guard Diamond DeShields out for the rest of the regular season.