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The WNBA is utilizing new technology this season to squash out “hate speech” among its fans.
The league announced a new initiative titled “No Space for Hate” this week ahead of the season tip-off. The campaign will include the use of AI social media monitoring tools that will help the league enforce a revised code of conduct.
“As part of the comprehensive plan, the WNBA is rolling out an AI-powered technology solution to monitor social media activity, in partnership with players and teams, to help protect the community from online hate speech and harassment,” the announcement read.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the WNBA for further clarification about how the technology will be used, but has not received a response.
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Cathy Engelbert talks to the media during the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 15, 2024, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. (Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images)
A revised WNBA fan code of conduct includes regulations for fans on social media, and threats of sanctioning those fans from official content if they are violated. The new policy lists racist, homophobic, sexist, sexual, threatening or libelous content as “subject to blocking or deletion.”
“Repeat violations of these guidelines may result in the violator no longer being able to follow our news, comment on our posts or send us messages,” the policy reads. “Additionally, any direct threats to players, referees or other league and team personnel may be referred to law enforcement and may result in the violator being banned from all WNBA arenas and events.”
The league is set to put these new practices into place ahead of a season that will see phenom Caitlin Clark take on arch-rival Angel Reese on Saturday for their season-opener.
Clark’s Indiana Fever will take on Reese’s Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, renewing the hottest rivalry in women’s basketball. The rivalry between Clark and Reese has been a hot bed for intense controversy, often igniting racial debates, dating back to their matchup in the 2023 NCAA championship game.
Reese has lambasted Clark’s fans as “racist” and even alleged they created AI-generated explicit images of the Sky star and sent them to her family members.
INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK AND ANGEL REESE’S IMPACT ON MEN’S BASKETBALL
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, and Angel Reese, #5 of the Chicago Sky, look on during the game on June 1, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it,” Reese said in the first episode of her podcast in early September.
“Multiple occasions, people have made AI-images of me naked. They have sent it to my family members. My family members are like uncles, sending it to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’
Clark had also been on the receiving end of racial comments throughout her rookie season in 2024, sometimes by figures in the mainstream media.
ESPN’s Pat McAfee referred to Clark as a “white b—-” during an episode of his nationally televised show June 3 and later apologized. McAfee used the term during a discussion about how much popularity Clark was bringing to the league, compared to other players, saying “I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, just call it for what it is. There’s one White b—- for the Indiana team who is a superstar.” McAfee later apologized.
In May, “The View” host Sunny Hostins said during an episode of that show that Clark’s popularity was due, in part, to “White privilege.”
In late September, Clark herself was forced to address allegations that her fans acted “racist” toward Connecticut Sun players during the Fever’s playoff series last September.
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Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, reacts against the Chicago Sky during the fourth quarter in the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 1, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas accused Indiana Fever fans of racist behavior to reporters after the Sun’s Game 2 win, while her teammate, DiJonai Carrington, revealed on Instagram an email she had received filled with racial slurs.
“We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been [called] on social media, and there’s no place for it,” Thomas said. “Basketball is headed in a great direction, but no, we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names.”
The WNBA later put out a statement addressing the allegations, and Clark was asked about it during Indiana’s exit interviews.
“Those aren’t fans. Those are trolls,” Clark said when asked about it.
“Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, disrespectful or hurtful comments and threats.”
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