Racism, sexism and LGBTQphobia are marring the rise of women's basketball in the US

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has had a historic season. Since its inception in 1996, the league’s top division had never sold so many tickets for its matches or had such a large television audience. However, in recent weeks the media has not focused on this success, but on the wave of racist attacks that several players have been victims of.

The Instagram profiles and other social media accounts maintained by these athletes — many of whom are Black and members of the LGBTQ+ community — have seen an increase in hateful comments, insults and even threats. Some people believe this is a response to the growing popularity of the women’s league. The offense reached a tipping point in late September, during the playoff games between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever. Before the second game, Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington shared on her Instagram account an anonymous email she had received containing sexual assault and death threats.

The day after the game, the WNBA released an official statement condemning the hateful comments that, like Carrington, several athletes had received. She made no further statements about the threats, but Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark – the young star of the teamwhite and one of the most important reasons for understanding the rise in popularity of the competition this year – and so did her coach, Christie Sides. They denounced to journalists the “racist rhetoric” with which the players are tormented. Clark, winner of the WNBA Rookie of the Year award, said those who offend “are not fans. Those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people of our league, the organization, the WNBA.”

Attacks on female players are not uncommon in American sports. Despite the maxim of national culture that this should be an apolitical space, it often becomes a new battlefield for polarization. It is worth recalling how in 2019 the female footballers of the national team were targeted former President Donald Trump and his supporters for their criticism of the president and the Republican Party’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies, or when transgender athletes like swimmer Lia Thomas have been victims of hate campaigns.

In contrast to the exclusion that male athletes often face when taking a political stand (such as NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the national anthem to condemn racism), there is greater solidarity among female players in women’s sports. After the threats against Carrington, players and former players from other teams came to her aid.

Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White said she had “never seen anything like it” in her entire career. “We have seen a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia across our country. Sports is no exception, and it is unacceptable to be completely honest,” she said in late September. In a recent report The Athletics noted that the harassment of WNBA players is taking a toll on their mental health. “A few players have taken more drastic steps, deactivating some of their social media accounts or severely limiting their involvement, despite the clear and often critical revenue potential that comes directly from marketing to fans,” the piece reads. The WNBA wants to promote a healthy atmosphere to continue its successful season, without having yet announced concrete measures to protect the players.

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