WNBA Drama After Game: Investigation Reveals Hate Speech

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00:00Off-court drama continues to win the day in the W, unfortunately, for the product.

00:06As we shared on Monday morning, following the season opener in Indianapolis

00:10between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky,

00:13a hard foul by Caitlin Clark on Angel Reese late in the third quarter

00:17that led to many an online commentary.

00:21And then after the game and revealed on Sunday,

00:23the WNBA investigating hateful speech directed at Angel Reese

00:27and the Chicago Sky in the crowd in Game Bridge Fieldhouse.

00:32Not reported during the game, not spoken about in post-game press conferences

00:35by Chicago, its organization, its coach, or its players,

00:39but really the investigation based on social media comments

00:43following the game in Indy on Saturday afternoon.

00:47The WNBA is currently investigating.

00:49Both the Sky and the Fever have said there is no place for hate in this game.

00:53Goes without saying, but sadly, must be reinforced in both organizations

00:59cooperating with the WNBA.

01:02We heard from the Chicago Sky yesterday at practice as they get ready

01:05for their second game of the year tomorrow night at home,

01:08their home debut in the Windy City against the reigning champs in the New York Liberty.

01:13Here's Chicago's head coach, Tyler Marsh, asked about that investigation from the W.

01:18Yeah, I think we agree.

01:19I think we're, you know, in compliance with them, with the league,

01:23and obviously there's no room or space in our game for hate,

01:27and so we're complying with everything that's been going on.

01:30Coach, when did you come up with any of those things?

01:32What's that happened?

01:34I think when everyone else did.

01:36I think that, you know, it's something that, you know, we heard about,

01:41and so, you know, again, we're just forthcoming with anything

01:44that the league is able to do investigation-wise.

01:47I'm not so sure in the quality of that audio.

01:50If you heard the reporter's question to Tyler Marsh, Chicago head sky there,

01:54when did you become aware of the hate speech directed at your team and your players?

02:00And Tyler Marsh says, we became aware when everybody else did,

02:04which would certainly allude to the idea they also saw it on social media.

02:09That's when they heard about it, not during the game or leaving the arena.

02:13The reason this is so hurtful to the league and the WNBA as a whole and its players

02:20is because it becomes almost like a boy who cried wolf or sheep or whatever that statement is.

02:28Because when you forego the idea of honesty and transparency,

02:32it actively hurts the investigation.

02:35It hurts the Chicago sky.

02:38It hurts the Indiana fever.

02:39It hurts the product for the WNBA.

02:42And it gives truth, even if there is a lack of evidence to the idea of hateful speech being directed at Chicago.

02:50That is the issue.

02:52Angel Reese, by the way, at that practice media scrum yesterday,

02:56was asked specifically about what she heard, what she has told the WNBA in its investigation.

03:02She did not cite any specific examples.

03:05And Chicago Sky PR was quick to say, we're not talking about this.

03:09She has already been asked and answered this question.

03:12Again, it does not feel like there is a true transparent investigation playing out.

03:17And what really should be highlighted is the excellent WNBA product,

03:22the game of basketball itself.

03:24Sometimes, sadly, in the WNBA,

03:26it feels as though the commentary on commentary on the actual game of basketball is front and center

03:33and not the competitive nature of the great games that we are seeing with the stars excelling in this moment.

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