UNCASVILLE, Conn. — On what should have been a celebratory night for the Connecticut Sun, as they advanced to their sixth consecutive WNBA semifinals by sweeping the Indiana Fever in the first round, some ugliness crept in instead.

The WNBA condemned the negative messages players are receiving online in a statement Wednesday night after Sun guard DiJonai Carrington shared a threatening email she received. The email, posted to Carrington’s Instagram Story, contained a racial slur and threatened sexual assault.

“While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams or anyone affiliated with the league,” the statement said. “League security actively monitors threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate action, including involving law enforcement as necessary.”

Carrington did not comment on the incident after the 87-81 victory. Alyssa Thomas, Carrington’s teammate, pointed to Indiana Fever fans as being behind the increased vitriol that players have faced this year. The league has seen a boost in fandom with the arrivals of Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Sky rookie Angel Reese, but WNBA players have also said throughout the year that the increased attention has also provoked toxicity.

“It’s a bunch of bullshit. I don’t think in my 11-year career I’ve ever heard racist comments (like I’ve experienced) from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said. “I’ve never been called anything like I have on social media, and there’s no place for that. Basketball is going in a great direction. But we don’t want fans belittling us and calling us racist names.”

Indiana coach Christie Sides also spoke after the game about the “hurtful, hateful speech” her team has endured all year. Fever forward Aliyah Boston said earlier this season that she deleted her social media accounts to avoid negative comments being directed her way.

Thomas called on the WNBA to do something to “police” the fans who engage in such conversations. Suns coach Steph White said she believed online trolls had shaped the league’s narrative and hoped the media outlets covering the league could reframe the focus on the game itself.

This summer, Clark condemned fans who used her name to spread hate. “Everyone in our world deserves the same amount of respect,” Clark said in June. “The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect, so people should not use my name to push those agendas.”

Despite Clark’s conviction, fans have rallied behind her detractors. After Diamond DeShields committed a flagrant foul on Clark at the end of a blowout, a social media post went up stating that “that tumor should have taken her out” in reference to a tumor DeShields had removed from her spinal cord in 2020.

Carrington, who has been a consistent opponent for Clark since facing the rookie on opening night, posted on X on August 28: “Indiana fever has the meanest fans in the west.” Earlier this month, Reese also pointed out Clark’s fans sending her hateful messages.

Two weeks ago, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was asked in an interview on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” about the menacing turn that online conversations about the league have taken. She initially focused on the boon that rivalries have created for the WNBA’s business rather than condemning negative fan behavior.

After receiving criticism from WNBA players, Engelbert apologized for missing the mark.

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(Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)