Christie Sides gave an impassioned response after Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas spoke out about the racism she and other players have faced when facing off against the Indiana Fever.
On Wednesday, Caitlin Clark and the Fever were eliminated from the 2024 WNBA Playoffs after losing to Thomas and the Sun, 87-81. And though Clark and Thomas played well throughout, perhaps the more pertinent topic of conversation from the series was the racism Connecticut’s players faced.
Speaking to reporters after the Fever’s elimination, Sides, Indiana’s head coach, spoke at length about how the team battled back from a tough start, especially after sky-high expectations were placed on the team. As she spoke, Sides made it a point to discuss the racist attacks WNBA players have been subjected to.
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“Just proud of the adversity these guys went through,” Sides began. “Just the expectations were insane for us to start this season and what people thought we should be doing and just the outside noise that these guys had to endure from game one until now.
“It’s a lot of hurtful speech out there and it’s happening and it’s unacceptable for any of these guys. This is basketball and this is their job and they’re doing the best they can. When it gets personal to me, I mean there’s no reason and these guys have to listen and watch that.”
Sides added that the pressure placed on her players was increased tenfold by how fans on social media reacted to their play, which ultimately led star forward Aliyah Boston to delete her social media accounts after her slow start. The 47-year-old also added that fans often skew what actually is happening on the court to fight their own agendas.
Christie Sides gave an impassioned statement on the racism the WNBA’s stars faced this season (
YouTube)
“It is just not acceptable when it gets personal for these players to have to deal with that,” Sides said. “So they handled it and kept showing up and kept coming in our locker room and kept finding ways to get better. And we freaking landed in the playoffs after we started 1-8 and that is an incredible story to talk about.”
Sides’ comments come after Thomas spoke out about the racism she faced from Fever fans, which she believed was the most intense she’s ever dealt with. “I think in my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,” the Olympian said.
“It’s unacceptable, honestly, and there’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for it. Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names.
“It’s uncalled for. Something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or this league checking, there’s no time for it anymore.” In response, the WNBA released their own statement regarding the racism its players have faced, posting: “The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world.
“While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement as necessary.”
The WNBA’s statement perhaps is the most the league has said regarding the issue as when commissioner Cathy Engelbert was pressed on the issues, she deflected, instead focusing on the profits the league gained. This led to the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association to release a statement of its own, denouncing the stance Engelbert took.
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