CNN
—

Connecticut Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas spoke out after the franchise’s crucial playoff series win against the Indiana Fever.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such racist comments from the Indiana Fever fan base in my 11-year career,” Thomas told reporters after the win in Uncasville, Connecticut.

During the first game of the postseason series on September 22, Thomas’ teammate DiJonai Carrington collided with rookie Caitlin Clark, hitting Clark in the eye.

Both Clark and Carrington denied any malicious intent behind the incident. Speaking to reporters prior to Game 2, Carrington said she had no intention of hitting anyone in the eye and that she was unaware she had made contact with the Fever guard.

Carrington’s girlfriend, Indiana Fever player NaLyssa Smith, described in detail how Carrington was treated.

“My girlfriend is getting death threats, being followed, and being told all kinds of bullshit,” Smith posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I have never been called anything like that on social media and there is no place for that,” Thomas added after the match.

Thomas said it is now up to authorities to prevent this from happening in the future.

“We come to play basketball for work and it’s fun, but we don’t want to come to work every day and have social media blow up about this kind of stuff.”

Sun head coach Stephanie White supported Thomas’ call for action.

“We’ve seen a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia in our country,” White said. “Sports is no exception and it’s unacceptable to be honest.”

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides also addressed the criticism players face.

“There is a lot of hurtful and hateful talk and that is unacceptable,” Sides told reporters after the match.

“When it gets personal, there’s no reason for it to me. These guys have to listen and watch – social media is their life. It’s just what they do. And they have to read and see this stuff all the time, and just all these stories that are made up of what people see or think they see… It’s just not acceptable when it gets personal.”

The WNBA released a statement in response to Thomas’ comments.

“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world. While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams or anyone associated with the league.

“League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate action, including involving law enforcement as necessary,” the league said Wednesday.

Thomas and the Sun will play the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis on Sunday for Game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals.