In what would have been an ideal alternative to denounce the racism that some WNBA gamers have skilled this season, the league’s commissioner Cathy Engelbert utterly missed the mark.
Engelbert was requested how the league can get forward of a few of the on-line hate gamers have been subjected to in an interview throughout a section on CNBC’s “Energy Lunch” tv present, however ducked the precise immediate, which referenced race and sexuality.
First, right here’s the complete query that was requested of Engelbert by anchor Tyler Mathisen:
“It appears, on some social media channels, to have taken a darker flip, a extra menacing flip, the place race has been launched into the dialog, the place sexuality is usually launched into the dialog. How do you try to keep forward of that, or act as a league when two of essentially the most seen gamers are concerned — not personally, it could appear, however their fanbases are concerned — in saying some very uncharitable issues concerning the different?”
Right here is Engelbert’s full response (with the video beneath):
“Nicely, the one factor that’s nice concerning the league proper now, we do sit at this intersection of tradition, and sports activities, and vogue, and music. Like, the WNBA gamers are actually checked out now as sort of cultural icons. And when you will have that, you will have a number of consideration on you. There’s no apathy. All people cares. It’s a little little bit of that Hen-Magic second, when you recall, from 1979. When these two rookies got here in from a giant school rivalry, one white, one black. And so now we have that second with these two. However the one factor I find out about sports activities, you want rivalry. That’s makes individuals watch, they wish to watch video games of consequence between rivals. They don’t need all people being good to at least one one other. Social media is completely different at this time than it was in 1979, when it didn’t exist, however I at all times inform the gamers — I used to be advised a very long time in the past. If somebody’s typing one thing in, and also you wouldn’t ask their recommendation, ignore it. It’s a steadiness, however definitely from a advertising {dollars}, company companions are stepping as much as endorse these gamers far more than they had been 5 years in the past, as a result of they see the good thing about having girls — and numerous girls — representing their model.”
There are a few blatant points with Engelbert’s remarks. First, had the query concerning the rivalry been requested in a vacuum, this response may have been perceived as adequate. However, Mathisen particularly introduced up the “menacing flip” of social media… “the place race has been launched to the dialog, the place sexuality has been launched to the dialog.”
On the naked minimal, the commissioner’s preliminary response ought to have been to right away denounce the racism, homophobia, and different types of bigotry that WNBA gamers have confronted within the league this season. In an excellent world, it could have prolonged even additional, delineating how the league plans to mitigate the net harassment gamers have endured, and the way their well-being comes initially. (The Sky, for instance, launched an AI marketing campaign to forestall on-line harassment and bullying this season).
As an alternative, Engelbert used the second as a chance to debate how the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has been financially profitable, failing to handle the darker corners of the web that it is delivered to the forefront. Cathy Engelbert can’t be held chargeable for the conduct of each fan, however to denounce these behaviors must be a no brainer.
Moreover, by telling gamers to easily ignore the feedback, Engelbert signaled that she’s not taking the problem at hand significantly sufficient — and never acknowledging that it extends far past simply imply feedback. We’ve seen disgusting pictures of Black WNBA gamers’ faces pasted onto the victims of police brutality amongst loads of different nasty, hateful feedback on-line, however there have additionally been incidents the place that hate has prolonged offline, whether or not it’s Sky gamers getting harassed outdoors of their resorts, or worse.
In her new podcast, “Unapologetically Angel”, Reese make clear a few of what she’s encountered when requested about her rivalry with Clark:
“Caitlin is an incredible participant, and I’ve at all times thought that she’s an incredible participant, so I actually assume it’s simply the followers – her followers, the Iowa followers, now the Indiana followers. They journey for her, and I respect that, respectfully. However generally it’s very disrespectful, and I feel there’s a number of racism on the subject of it, and I don’t imagine she stands on any of that. However on the subject of demise threats – like I’m speaking about individuals come right down to my tackle, following me residence, it comes right down to that. A number of events individuals have made AI footage of me bare, actually. They’ve despatched it to my relations, uncles are sending it to me, like ‘are you bare on Instagram?’ It sucks to see that, and it’s actually onerous that I’ve to undergo that, and now seeing different gamers having to undergo that, however like on the finish of the day it’s a recreation that we do each love, however there is no such thing as a hate.”
It’s potential that Engelbert didn’t know that Reese, amongst others, has needed to cope with demise threats, individuals following her, and folks producing bare AI footage of her. If that’s the case, it’s her job to get knowledgeable and up to the mark on what girls within the league are coping with. To decide on to brush it apart as a result of it’s the better factor to do is unacceptable.
Whereas many WNBA gamers didn’t explicitly touch upon Engelbert’s remarks, a number of despatched out well timed tweets that appeared to react to the surfacing quote, together with Michaela Onyenwere and Brianna Turner of the Chicago Sky, Alysha Clark, Queen Egbo and Sydney Colson of the Las Vegas Aces, and DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Solar.
My eye should be deceiving me bc ain’t no manner
— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) September 10, 2024
Turner additionally tweeted: “I stand towards all types of discrimination, hatred, and bias, particularly in reference to sports activities. The intersection of racism and sports activities ought to at all times be rejected. No platform is just too huge or too small to face for the fitting factor. No excuses.”
Provided that the league is at such a essential second of progress, the results of the commissioner’s phrases (or lack thereof) may have an enduring impression. It’s essential at this second that gamers really feel protected by the league — no less than as a lot as potential. And, it’s essential that the followers who interact in these behaviors don’t really feel empowered to proceed. A repudiation of a few of what the gamers have needed to cope with would have been the naked minimal. As an alternative, Engelbert utterly handed on the chance.
