Brittney Griner SLAMS ‘new fans’ for racist attacks on WNBA peers

Phoenix Mercury superstar Brittney Griner calls out new WNBA fans for directing racism at herself and other players.

Brittney Griner SLAMS ‘new fans’ for racist attacks on WNBA peers

WNBA and Phoenix Mercury superstar Brittney Griner

The WNBA is now facing a tumultuous period in its 28-year history. Not only is the sport growing by leaps and bounds but along with that new attention came a new problem. Aggressive and racist fans have become a problem as of late. Some players have already spoken up about the problems they have faced. The cameras then turned to Phoenix Mercury superstar Brittney Griner after her season ended.

The star was answering questions from reporters after the Mercury’s game-two loss to the Minnesota Lynx. She was appreciative of the fans who have taken to the sport after the new rookies set it alight. When asked specifically about how she found the new WNBA fans this season, Griner complained about the racial slurs uttered during the games.

I don’t appreciate the new fans that sit there and yell racial slurs at myself, my teammates and the people that I play against. Because, yeah, those might be opponents, but those are friends, too. They don’t deserve that. I don’t appreciate the new fans who think it’s okay to do that.

Brittney Griner via media interview

But after saying this, the WNBA champion did say that she was appreciative of those who came to enjoy their game. Brittney Griner acknowledged the contributions of the rookie class for bringing all the new eyeballs. At the same time, she appreciated how they played in their debut season. But her message was loud and clear to those new fans brought in by the rookies: stop dishing out hate.

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Griner especially called out those fans who have taken the racism route to try and intimidate players. Be it herself or her opponents, she wants fans to understand that they deserve respect, too. After all, this league would not be anything without them.

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Brittney Griner’s words come after multiple players spoke up

The first player to set the ball rolling was Angel Reese. After she spoke up about the threats and vitriol she received at the hands of some fans of Caitlin Clark. This development opened up a new conversation in the WNBA. Reese’s Chicago Sky teammates spoke about the hate from some of their fans. The WNBPA and other players tried to get the league’s attention to this problem. But it was not loud enough.

Then, after the conclusion of the 1st round of playoffs, other stars of the league started speaking up. 11-year veteran Alyssa Thomas started to reveal what she and her teammates face. Then Caitlin Clark’s head coach and Thomas’ head coach sent out statements.

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Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark even shot down those fans who were bringing in this negativity. The WNBA has since released a statement suggesting they will involve law enforcement if things get out of hand. It remains to be seen if things change moving forward, or if it will become more toxic than before.