Chicago Sky forward Isabelle Harrison posted on social media that she is receiving harassment from her own fans after sharing the reports that Caitlin Clark won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (which isn’t confirmed yet).
On Sunday, Sep. 29th, Harrison shared Bleacher Report’s X post about Clark’s reported win. Although she has done the same with every WNBA individual award news, some Sky fans took issue with her doing so for Clark, as Sky’s Angel Reese was also a strong contender for the award.
Responding directly to a user that called her “weird asf” Harrison wrote: “Lord, season over and y’all still harassing me. Get a life!” She then also responded to another one, saying: “the wnba is still going to and continue to grow! but yeah, harassment from your own team’s fanbase is crazywork!”
Harrison also responded to a fan that wrote “Izzy to the Fever,” saying: “I was getting called slurs after our Indy game too! smh people have to understand the harassment wasn’t just on one side but ALL sides. I’m not speaking about it so it can be one side vs the other. Thats weird. It’s the BEHAVIOR that needs to be better!!”
Clark’s WNBA Rookie of the Year Award win was first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. If the win is confirmed, it would hardly be a surprise as Clark had an extraordinary season with Indiana Fever, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Connecticut Sun. She broke several records, including single-season assists and single-season rookie scoring record.
Harassment has been a problem for WNBA players this season
It’s true that Clark has been credited with bringing new fans to the WNBA league, however, it seems like there has also been an increase in online bullying for players this season. Connecticut Sun players, such as Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, as well as Reese, have denounced receiving online racist insults by Indiana Fever fans.
Players haven’t been precisely content about how the WNBA have navigated the issue, especially after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had a vague response about racism, homophobia and misogyny last month. However, after the Sun defeated the Fever this Wednesday, the league released a statement condemning racism.
“While we welcome a growing fanbase, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league,” they wrote.