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WNBA and Players Union Meet to Address Racist and Abusive Messages Sent to Players

The league and players' association released a joint statement Wednesday describing the messages as racist, hateful, and abusive.

Former WNBA Player, Sonia Chase, Being Presented The President's Lifetime Achievement Award by Tamika Tremaglio (Former Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association)
Former WNBA Player, Sonia Chase, Being Presented …      Wnba Players    Sonia Chase / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
By Free News Press Editorial Team
Published July 23, 2026 at 1:40 AM PDT

The WNBA and its players' association held a videoconference Tuesday to address a range of issues facing the league, with one of the central topics being recent messages sent directly to players, according to ESPN.

A joint statement released Wednesday described the communications as "racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players." The statement was issued jointly by the league and the Women's National Basketball Players Association following the videoconference.

No additional details were released about the volume of messages, the platforms on which they were sent, or whether any specific players were targeted. The joint statement did not specify what actions, if any, the league or union plan to take in response.

The meeting covered a variety of issues in addition to the abusive messages. Neither the league nor the union disclosed the full scope of topics discussed during the call.

Ambassador Miller with Joel Litvin, President of Operations, player development and health initiatives, and social responsibility programs, and his wife, Lisa Litvin, a lawyer.
Ambassador Miller with Joel Litvin, President of …      Wnba Players    US Embassy Botswana / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)