The Chicago Sky are on the road preparing to face the Washington Mystics on Thursday night. A day before the game, the team was greeted by an unwelcome visitor who reportedly pulled his camera out and began harassing guard Chennedy Carter.
Carter was at the center of a viral moment this past weekend when she hip checked Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. The hard foul started days are terrible discourse about whether Clark was being “targeted” by her opponents, with the Chicago Tribune editorial board even published an embarrassing editorial in which it compared the play to assault.
Carter’s play was a cheap shot, and the league correctly changed it to a flagrant foul after the game. It was not some terrible crime far outside of what often happens on a basketball court in the heat of competition. Discourse over the play crossed beyond the WNBA and even general sports landscape, and that’s seemingly what led to some strange man harassing Carter in D.C. on Wednesday night.
Sky players tweeted about the incident as it happened, including rookie Angel Reese. Security de-escalated the situation quickly. Here are tweets from three Sky players on what happened.
finding out our teams hotel to pull with a camera as we get off the bus and put it in my teammates face & HARASS her is NASTY WORK. this really is outta control and needs to STOP.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) June 5, 2024
WOW!!! Thank GOD for security. My teammate being harassed at our hotel is insane! Couldn’t even step off the bus!!!
— Isabelle Harrison (@OMG_itsizzyb) June 5, 2024
Getting harassed at our hotel is where the line needs to be drawn. Some “fans” have NO CHILLLLL
— Michaela Onyenwere (@monyenwere_) June 5, 2024
We have security, and they did a great job of de-escalating the situation/protecting us. It’s still extremely weird & crosses the boundaries meeting us right when we get off the bus. https://t.co/HZZ60ytx3E
— Michaela Onyenwere (@monyenwere_) June 5, 2024
What is wrong with people?
The WNBA is certainly seeing a big boost in attendance and viewership, in part because of the interest rookies like Clark, Reese, and Cameron Brink have brought to the league. Clark is obviously the standout name after a record-breaking college career. Her arrival has been a double-edge sword for the league: it’s getting more notoriety, but it’s also attracting bad-faith arguments from people who don’t have much interest actually engaging in the games.
It’s not okay to harass athletes getting off the team bus under any circumstances. Whoever did it was a bad actor with no real interest in the league. Clark didn’t ask for any of this. It’s is all unacceptable and needs to end immediately.
