September 26, 2024 – UNCASVILLE, CT – Forget the buzzer-beaters and slick no-look passes, the real competition in this year’s WNBA Playoffs might just be between players and keyboard warriors. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas—known for her triple-doubles on the court—just scored another “triple” by taking on trolls, racists, and the entire internet all in one blow.
After leading her team to a nail-biting 87-81 win over the Indiana Fever, officially eliminating them from the playoffs, Thomas didn’t mince words when talking about the kind of treatment she’s been getting off the court. Spoiler: It’s not the VIP kind of attention you’d expect from a fanbase.
“In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase,” Thomas said postgame. “It’s unacceptable, honestly. There’s no place for it.”
Yes, you heard that right—Alyssa Thomas, who’s basically one of the most unflappable players in the WNBA, is getting harassed by people who probably couldn’t dribble a basketball past a toddler. She added, “We’ve been professional throughout the whole thing, but I’ve never been called the things I’ve been called on social media.”
It’s 2024, folks. WNBA players aren’t just battling it out on the hardwood, they’re dodging personal attacks like they’re avoiding a full-court press. Thomas continued, hitting the nail on the head: “We don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names. We already see what’s happening in the world… we come to play basketball for our job, and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and have social media blown up over things like that.”
Of course, Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides wasn’t about to let Thomas have the last word on this hot-button issue. Turns out, the Fever players are also no strangers to some unsavory online comments. “It’s a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there,” Sides said, while clearly wondering why the heck we can’t all just enjoy the game. “These guys have to listen and watch—social media is their life. They have to read and see these things constantly.”
Maybe the trolls missed the memo: basketball’s supposed to be fun, not a breeding ground for bad takes and even worse insults. But hey, with the WNBA soaring to new heights in popularity this season—thanks in part to rookie sensation Caitlin Clark—the league’s gaining more eyes, which unfortunately means more of the wrong kind of attention too.
A record crowd of 20,711 packed into a Fever vs. Washington Mystics game last week, and TV ratings for the league have skyrocketed. ESPN’s ratings for WNBA games jumped by a whopping 170 percent this year, averaging 1.2 million viewers per game compared to last season’s 454,000. That’s right, the WNBA is going prime time, whether the trolls like it or not.
But with great power (and higher viewership numbers) comes great responsibility… or in this case, more opportunities for jerks to chime in from behind the safety of their screens. Still, as Thomas put it, “Something needs to be done,” and the WNBA seems to be on it. The league issued a statement promising that its security team is keeping an eye on things and will involve law enforcement if necessary. Yup, you heard that correctly—trash talk all you want, but cross the line and you might get a visit from the actual police.
In spite of all the social media nonsense, the WNBA postseason is shaping up to be a thriller. The top four seeds breezed through the first round, with the No. 1 New York Liberty set to face the No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, and the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx squaring off against Thomas’s No. 3 Sun. And with stars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Kelsey Plum still in the mix, this could be one of the most exciting (and drama-packed) postseasons in WNBA history.
As for the trolls? Well, let’s hope they stick to their armchairs and leave the real work to the professionals—both on and off the court.
