The darker side of the rise of women's sports: With more visibility comes more online harassment

[RandySF]

NEW YORK (AP) — For Djaniele Taylor, attending WNBA games was the perfect way to rediscover a sense of community coming out of the long slog of pandemic-era lockdowns.

The 38-year-old Evanston, Illinois, resident has regularly attended Chicago Sky games for the last three seasons, after she watched the team win its first championship in 2021. As a queer Black fan, she felt the games were a supportive and safe sporting environment.

“I was hooked and I loved the atmosphere — it was very queer-friendly, very family-oriented, very diverse,” she said.

As the popularity of the WNBA skyrocketed this year, Taylor watched the price of her season tickets more than double since 2022. With the growth, she noted a “darker vibe shift,” too: What always felt like a positive setting started to take a more hostile turn at times.

As women’s sports set new records for attendance and viewership, Taylor and other longtime fans watched with optimism — and unease. It’s a cycle female athletes and fans of women’s sports have come to recognize: With the increased and sought-after visibility also comes added scrutiny — as well as harassment and online abuse toward some players.





https://apnews.com/article/women-sports-wnba-clark-reese-online-abuse-a2cc10a4a5ef6b99769607efd7d8d4a5

[hlthe2b]

1. They need to stay united against the outside elements. I see some battles beginning within the WNBA...

That is disconcerting to see, but I suppose it is inevitable as it grows.

[Mosby]

2. The article is specious

It blames Caitlin Clark for white racists, but in subtle ways:

"In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced racial comments (like) from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said, after the Sun eliminated the Fever from the playoffs.

She's intimating that racist fans of the WNBA are the fault of Caitlin Clark.

Then the article pivots towards intersex and trans women dealing with discrimination, which is a subject unto itself if we're being honest, because the drastic rise in interest in the WNBA is unique among women's sports, which have not experienced any increase in viewership, something the article neglects to mention. That's why it's basically dishonest and manipulative.

[RandySF]

3. Two points.

1. Basketball is only part of the article.

2. Nobody blames Clark for anything but the new viewers include an unsavory that have been active on social media and showing up for games, including the final Fever/Sun game that resembled a MAGA rally.

Clark fans are overwhelmingly not racists but the racists are overwhelmingly Clark “supporters”.