Fever’s Stephanie White comes to Alyssa Thomas’ defense amid ‘unacceptable toxicity’ after Caitlin Clark incident originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has lashed out at the “unacceptable” social media posts that have threatened Alyssa Thomas after the Phoenix Mercury forward — inadvertently or otherwise — drove her fist into Caitlin Clark‘s throat in last week’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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Thomas, a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-Defense selection, was retroactively suspended one game by the WNBA following the incident. Upon returning to team activities on Tuesday, Thomas criticized commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s response to the death threats and racial slurs she has received online, saying that the league continues to risk player safety as its business continues to expand.
MORE: WNBA’s Cathy Engelbert – Alyssa Thomas drama overshadows Commissioner’s Cup classic
White, who had referred to Thomas’ incident with Clark as “egregious,” came to the defense of her former player when she met with the media on Wednesday.
“I think as a league, as a whole, there’s been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia, straight out nonsense, hate nonsense,” White, who coached Thomas with the Connecticut Sun, told reporters. “It is absolutely unacceptable. Most of this coming from the online community.”
White insisted that much of the hate speech was coming from online fans who are seeking to use Clark as a cudgel in bad-faith debates that invariably invoke racist tropes against the Fever star’s opponents. White called those people “jerks” and told them to stop calling themselves WNBA fans.
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“Our league is about elevating, elevating women, elevating marginalized communities and being inclusive of all different walks of life. That is what our league has always been about from day one. That is what our league will continue to be about. And we will continue to compete at a high level, hold ourselves to a higher standard, continue to be on the forefront of social norms, and we will continue to support one another collectively as a league,” White said. “Players, coaches, staff, support staff, everyone. We’re about elevating. We are not about demeaning, demanding, We are not about continuing this narrative. And it’s just absolutely unacceptable.”
