The WNBA failed to find any evidence of racist fan behavior directed towards Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese during a contentious game with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever.
In what has become a common theme for Reese and the WNBA as a whole, the two teams were involved in a dust-up following a flagrant foul call on Clark during a May 17 game. After the foul — which was controversial in and of itself — Reese charged towards Clark and appeared to be winding up a punch before she was stopped by one of Clark’s teammates.
Clark’s critics soon took to social media with unsubstantiated allegations of racial abuse directed at Reese from Indiana Fever fans. Fever fans were accused of hurling racial slurs and making monkey noises at Reese and her fever teammates despite no video or audio supporting the claim, which theoretically would have been widely available for such a closely-watched matchup.
On Tuesday, the WNBA confirmed that it had found no evidence to support the allegations after a comprehensive probe.
“Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it,” the league said in its statement. “The WNBA is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone and will continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct.”
Mel Raines, the COO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which owns both the Fever and the Indiana Pacers, thanked the league and warned fans that “hate speech” will not be tolerated despite zero evidence to support the allegations.
“We appreciate the swift and thorough process undertaken by the WNBA to investigate these allegations, which were not substantiated,” Raines said in a statement. “At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, we are committed to providing the best possible basketball experience for players and fans where hate speech has absolutely no place.”
Caitlin Clark has been on the receiving end of a number of hard fouls and racially-motivated comments since she was drafted first overall in the WNBA Draft last year.
Last June, Sky guard Chennedy Carter threw Clark to the ground with a vicious hip check that took place far away from the ball. An alternate angle of the incident found that Carter appeared to call Clark a “b**ch” before initiating the contact.
Astonishingly, the foul was not upgraded to a technical despite a clear off-ball foul and taunting displayed by Carter.
Carter refused to answer questions about the incident after the game and later attacked Clark on social media. “That’s that on that cause beside 3-point shooting what does she bring to the table man,” Carter wrote in reply to a post about her postgame press conference on Threads.
Clark was on the receiving end of another questionable hit from arch rival Angel Reese on June 16. Towards the end of the third quarter, Caitlin Clark was whacked on the head by Reese as she drove to the basket. Officials reviewed the play and assessed Reese with a Flagrant One.
