Caitlin Clark condemns hatred, says she's out Sunday (back) - ESPN

Caitlin Clark broke her silence Friday condemning the negative attention directed toward her, the Indiana Fever and opposing WNBA players.

«The harassment, the hate. None of that is OK ...» the two-time WNBA All-Star said. «There should never be question of character like I've always stood up here and said that, and that's truly what I believe, that's how I was raised. So, none of that is okay and I don't want anyone to experience that.»

Clark is among a number of players and coaches who have recently been on the receiving end of threats, slurs and verbal harassment.

Phoenix Mercury veteran forward Alyssa Thomas said that she received death threats and had been called racial slurs after being suspended one game for contacting Clark's throat with her fist in the second quarter of a Mercury 111-109 win on June 22.

«I think for the league as a whole, there's been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia — straight up hateful nonsense, and it is absolutely unacceptable,» Fever coach Stephanie White said during a two-minute opening statement at practice Wednesday.

Clark also expressed frustration regarding the level of attention focused on the incident.

«When I turned the TV on Sunday, and that game was on Wednesday and that's all people were talking about. I feel like that's such a disservice to the rest of our league,» she added. «I get it, you have to talk about it… but to continue to beat down and beat down for the narrative to be taken to other places that's really just not acceptable.»

The WNBA has implemented initiatives that combat online hate and threats to players. Some of that includes artificial intelligence software to identify and respond more quickly to threats, harassment and hate directed at players and