Sun, Fever call out 'unacceptable' fan behavior as series ends - ESPN

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides both called for the abusive comments toward WNBA players to stop during their respective postgame news conferences following Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Thomas went as far as to ask the league to step in and do something about the behavior.

«In my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base. It's unacceptable, honestly,» Thomas said. «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.

»Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don't want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names. I mean, we already see what's happening in the world and what we have to deal with in that aspect. And 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. 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."

Sides spoke first after the Fever's season-ending 87-81 loss to the Sun. She was asked what she felt was important to say to her team in the locker room after the defeat. The Fever overcame a 1-8 start to the season to earn the No. 6 seed in the playoffs.

«Just proud of the adversity these guys went through,» Sides said. «The expectations that 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 till now.

»It's a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there that's happening, and it's