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The Connecticut Sun advanced to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs on Wednesday night with an 87-81 win over the Indiana Fever. Sun star Alyssa Thomas had an excellent game, finishing with 19 points and 13 assists in the closeout effort, which helped the Sun move on to the final four for the sixth consecutive year.
Thomas made headlines with her comments after the win, when she called out Fever fans for making “racial comments” towards her and harassing her on social media, per Noa Dalzell of SB Nation.
Alyssa Thomas called out the hate that Sun players have faced from the Fever fanbase, saying she’s never experienced these type of racial comments before:
“It’s uncalled for, and something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans, or the league.” pic.twitter.com/qpqhkThW1p
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 26, 2024
“Honestly, it's been a lot of nonsense,” Thomas said, per Dalzell. “I think in my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase… It's unacceptable, honestly. There's no place for it. 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. Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don't want fans that are gonna degrade us and call us racial names.”
Following Thomas' comments, Sun head coach Stephanie White addressed the harassment from “trolls” on social media with a powerful message.
Stephanie White spoke extensively on the hate her players (and other W players) have faced:
“We in the media have to do a better job of not allowing trolls in social media to become the story. I feel like we have allowed trolls in social media to frame the narrative of what the… pic.twitter.com/DnnS0DINlC
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 26, 2024
Thomas will certainly be happy to be moving onto the second round to get away from the hate from Fever fans, and also to get another chance at the elusive WNBA title that the Sun are still chasing. Despite an incredibly consistent run of recent success, the Sun still haven't gotten over the hump in four WNBA Finals, losing two of them in the last five years with Thomas on the roster.
Next up for the Sun is likely to be the Minnesota Lynx, though it still could still be the Phoenix Mercury if they are able to pull off a historic comeback. If it is the Lynx, it would be a fascinating contrast in styles between Minnesota's high-scoring attack and the Sun's physical, defense-oriented identity. Regardless, Thomas and the Sun are playing with plenty of confidence heading into round two.
