According to several members of the Chicago Sky, a fan “harassed” their teammate Wednesday night. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile reported that the fan approached guard Chennedy Carter as she attempted to exit the team’s bus.
Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere said the team’s security was able to de-escalate the situation but added more context to what sounded like an unsafe and scary few moments.
“It’s still extremely weird and crosses the boundaries meeting us right when we get off the bus,” Onyenwere said on X.
The incident comes only days after Carter was hit with a flagrant foul when she hip-checked Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark with a blindside hit. The run-in only added fuel to the fire, as the seemingly harsh treatment of this year’s No. 1 pick was already a hot topic of conversation.
The Chicago Tribune published a scathing takedown of Carter in defense of Clark, much to the chagrin of the publication’s beat writers. Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Jim Banks sent a letter to the WNBA demanding answers to the “excessive attack” on the ex-Iowa star.
As Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said, what Carter did was “not appropriate.” However, her actions aren’t an excuse for harassment.
Likewise, the situation shines a bright light on double standards.
Clark has been a target. That’s not debatable. But that seems more like an officiating problem than anything else, especially considering the silence regarding hard fouls on fellow rookies like Angel Reese of the Sky.
Are there players within the WNBA who are envious and perhaps resentful of Clark? Undoubtedly. Is she the first hyped-up player to be the victim of a hard foul or an unprovoked shove? No.
Meanwhile, Clark is no stranger to similar behavior.
Either way, the latest development is unsettling, to say the least. The uptick in outrage in favor of the Fever star has now emboldened fans to confront her so-called attackers personally, which simply can’t be justified nor tolerated.