Brittney Griner slams 'new' WNBA fans for yelling 'racial slurs' at players, trolled as a 'drama queen'

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Brittney Griner has accused 'new' WNBA fans of spewing 'racial slurs' against herself, her team, and her opponents.

The 33-year-old basketball player made the allegations a day after her team, the Phoenix Mercury, was eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday, September 25, according to The Western Journal.

"I don’t appreciate the new fans that sit there and yell racial slurs at myself, my teammates, and the people that I play against because, yeah, those might be opponents, but those are friends, too," Griner said on September 26 after her team ended the season.

However, the 10-time WNBA All-Star center is not the only one who has raised accusations of increased racism aimed at WNBA fans.

Brittney Griner clarified she wasn't pointing fingers at rookie players

Emphasizing that neither she, her team, nor her opponents deserve to hear racist slurs, Griner stated she did not appreciate new fans thinking it was fine to continue the behavior.

Nevertheless, the WNBA player, who was imprisoned in Russia for ten months on drug charges in 2022, clarified that she was not blaming the rookie players who expanded the league's fanbase.

"But I do appreciate the new fans that respect the game, that are here to grow our league, bringing in people that may have never watched the W to a WNBA game so we can grow more fans. I do appreciate them," the three-time Olympic gold medalist said.

She further voiced her appreciation for the new players and urged the need to showcase talent to ensure continuous growth each year.

The rookie class that made the entry to the WNBA includes Indiana Fever's guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.

Recently, Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas also claimed she came across a new level of racism from fans during her game against Clark's Indiana Fever.

"It's unacceptable, honestly. There's no place for it," the 32-year-old player said, according to Reuters.

Last week, the WNBA also called out fans over their racist conduct. In an X (formerly Twitter) post, the WNBA stated, "League will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams, or anyone affiliated with the league."

It also warned of measures, including law enforcement against racist remarks, as the league security would actively monitor activities related to threats.

However, no specific evidence has been found so far to support Griner's accusations of racial slurs from fans.

Clark, the WNBA rookie of the year, urged the league to remove the racist fans, saying they were not "fans" but "trolls."

Brittney Griner's accusations against fans sparks backlash online

Brittney Griner's accusations of new WNBA fans being racist sparked outrage online as netizens claimed she was lying because no camera had ever caught any incident of that sort.

"Hey is such a lying drama queen," a user wrote.

"None of this is true. You’re on an endless search for things to make your league relevant. Why not try letting it be relevant for the level of play rather than the level of complaining," another added.

"I don’t appreciate you lying about it and saying things that aren’t actually happening because if those things actually were happening those fans would be thrown out of the stands you’re lying you know you’re lying and everyone else knows you’re lying," a third user wrote.

"Total hogwash. The racial slurs aren't happening. If they were, they'd get the fans tossed during the game," an individual remarked.

"Jealousy makes people say the craziest things," read a fifth response.

"What a LIE! No one's yelling any "racial slurs." Brittney will do anything for attention," someone else wrote.

"There are cameras and microphones all over these arenas. This is not remotely true," another user wrote.

"There’s cameras and phones everywhere…where’s the proof this is happening? Too much drama in the WNBA," one user chimed in.

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