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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Police investigate ‘homophobic death threats’ sent to WNBA star
Breanna Stewart’s wife
By Ben Church, CNN
Updated:
9:53 AM EDT, Wed October 16, 2024
Source: CNN
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating “homophobic
death threats” sent to star Breanna Stewart’s wife, Marta Xargay,
via email after Game 1 of this year’s Finals.
Stewart told ESPN’s on Tuesday that the message was sent to Xargay, a
former WNBA player, and that she and her wife had made the Liberty and
league aware of the situation.
The NYPD told CNN in a statement that it was aware of the incident:
“On Sunday, October 13, 2024, at approximately 1815 hours, an email
was sent to a relative of a WNBA player with a threatening message. The
investigation is ongoing.”
Stewart, a two-time WNBA MVP, had the chance to win Game 1 of the
Finals for New York but missed one of two free throws at the end of
regulation and then was off-target with a layup at the end of overtime.
The Minnesota Lynx ended up winning the opener but the series is now
tied at 1-1 ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday.
“Sometimes, people are taking things a little bit too far and too out
of context and Marta had gotten homophobic death threats,” Stewart
told NBA Today’s Malika Andrews.
“A few other things have happened but just making sure that we’re
doing as much as possible to continue to make sure that our team and
the league is aware of the situation and continue to keep everybody
safe,” she said.
In a statement, a WNBA spokesperson told CNN the league will
“continue to emphasize that there is absolutely no room for hateful
or threatening comments made about players, teams or anyone affiliated
with the WNBA.”
They added: “We’re aware of the most recent matter and are working
with league and team security as well as law enforcement on appropriate
security measures.”
CNN has reached out to the Liberty for comment.
The email comes amid a worrying rise of social media abuse directed at
those playing in the WNBA.
Connecticut Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas , saying, “I think in my
11-year career I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the
Indiana Fever fan base.
“I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on
social media and there’s no place for it,” Thomas added.
Last month, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington received after accidentally
colliding with Fever star Caitlin Clark during the series. Both Clark
and Carrington denied that there was any malicious intent behind the
incident.
Carrington’s girlfriend, Indiana player NaLyssa Smith, detailed some
of the treatment Carrington had been subjected to.
“My girlfriend has been getting death threats, followed, called all
type of sh*t,” Smith , formerly known as Twitter.
Thomas added after the Sun’s first-round victory: “We come to play
basketball for our job and it’s fun, but we don’t wanna go to work
every day and have social media blown up over things like that.”
Asked about the rise in abuse, Stewart said she wanted to use her
platform to raise awareness.
“Why is this happening? Because we are the most inclusive league in
all of professional sports and I can say that with confidence. But
there’s no place for hate,” Stewart added Tuesday.
“We want to continue to make sure that not only am I using this
platform to make sure that we’re keeping it consistent and really
putting the pressure on the league to keep us safe.
“But knowing this is happening, not only in this league but really
around the world, it’s unacceptable.”
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