WNBA faces growing scrutiny over racism, player safety and inclusion during All-Star weekend
The league’s rapid growth is being tested by racial controversy, online harassment and questions about whether players receive enough protection.
The WNBA entered this year’s All-Star weekend in Chicago celebrating unprecedented attention, league expansion and a landmark collective bargaining agreement. But growing WNBA scrutiny has shifted part of the spotlight toward racism, online abuse and whether players feel protected by league leadership.
The concerns intensified after a June 24 game between the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury. The league later upgraded Alyssa Thomas’ contact with Caitlin Clark to a flagrant foul and suspended Thomas for one game. Thomas maintained the play was accidental and said she received death threats and racial slurs afterward, adding to broader player safety concerns surrounding the league’s expanding audience.
Thomas later criticized Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA’s response to the harassment. The Associated Press reported that Engelbert met with two player committees during All-Star week to discuss stronger protections against online abuse.
Race returned to the center of the conversation when Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was suspended for one game after referring to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as a “protected species.” Brondello apologized, explaining that the phrase is used in Australian sports to complain about favorable officiating. Reese accepted the apology and praised the league for responding quickly.
Other disputes have widened the debate. Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray recently shared a racist message she received online. WNBA veteran Brianna Turner also alleged that the Indiana Fever fired a male employee for sexual harassment last season and encouraged players not to discuss it. Turner’s comments came as players debated transgender participation and inclusion in women’s sports.
Even as the league is in a transformative period, with higher visibility bringing opportunity, it is also bringing sharper public conflict. A conflict the league has yet to quell.
Ketra Armstrong, director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan, said the league’s progress deserved celebration but warned that it could obscure continuing problems.
“There’s a lot to celebrate,” Armstrong said, “but race still matters.”