Analysis: A deeper dive into what happened at the Sky vs. Fever game last weekend

CHICAGO (WGN) — What started as an extraordinary opportunity for a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter to see two of the WNBA’s brightest stars face off last weekend, quickly devolved into an uncomfortable experience tainted by alleged hate speech they witnessed from fellow fans directed toward Angel Reese.

Sabrina Smith, her daughter and her 12-year-old granddaughter are self-described “sports lovers” from St. Louis, Missouri. Smith spent years rooting for the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts teams of the 2000s, while her granddaughter just recently started playing basketball.

Seeing the connection between her mom’s love of Indianapolis sports and her daughter’s newfound love for basketball, Smith’s daughter bought tickets for the three to see Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take on Reese and the Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 17.

The trio booked a hotel within walking distance of the arena and the group arrived early enough to check in and grab a bite to eat before the game started.

“We were ready to come to the game. We were excited, and we just walked to the game,” Smith told WGN News in an interview Wednesday.

And so they did. Smith and her family got to Gainbridge and found their seats in section 211, row 9 overlooking the court.

Before opening tip, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared on the arena Jumbotron with a message that racism will not be tolerated by the WNBA. The video is a part of the league’s “No Space for Hate” initiative, a multi-platform strategy launched last Thursday geared toward combating hate both online and in arenas.

Then before they knew it, tipoff unfolded and the game got underway. Everything was going according to plan.

Reese and Clark met for the seventh time in what has become the biggest rivalry in women’s professional sports. Clark’s Fever squad put on a show that felt like an Indiana blowout waiting to happen heading into halftime.

Then, one specific play unfolded a little more than halfway through the third quarter.

“You see the foul—and I honestly believe in my heart, it was a flagrant foul,” Smith said. “You see the foul. Then you hear all the noise and the refs are getting together at this time, and it gets quiet.”

With 4:38 remaining in the third, Reese grabbed an offensive rebound, and Clark slapped Reese’s arm hard enough to jar the ball loose and knock Reese to the floor. Reese immediately shot up and went to confront Clark, who was walking away. Indiana center Aliyah Boston got in between the two players, appearing to break up the confrontation.

Boston and Reese were given offsetting technical fouls, while Clark’s personal foul on Reese was upgraded to a flagrant 1.

According to Smith, as soon as referees Roy Gulbeyan, Tiara Cruse and Jenna Reneau broke their huddle and upgraded Clark’s foul to a flagrant, she started to hear those racially derogatory words and phrases.

“My 12-year-old granddaughter’s with me so, I’m trying my hardest not to react, making sure that I’m listening to what I heard,” Smith said. “My granddaughter’s looking around. I touch her, say hey, pay attention to the game to see if she makes this [free throw] … I absolutely heard it. I did not try to react to it.”

Smith said she heard racially derogatory remarks, comments, words and phrases being voiced toward the court during Reese’s free throws after the post-foul exchange. That’s where she heard most of the comments, with a few more as the game clock ticked by, but not as loud or as common.

She also said that both Fever and Sky fans turned around in their section to see where the comments were coming from.

“I know that what I heard, they heard as well because they wouldn’t have been looking like they were,” Smith said. “If it didn’t happen, [the WNBA] wouldn’t be doing an investigation.”

Due to how high in the stands Smith and her family were, along with the overall noise of the stadium, she believes players on the court weren’t able to hear what was being said.

“We were too far up,” Smith said. “So, I’m glad that they weren’t able to hear it because I think it would have changed the narrative of the game. No one wants to hear that. It’s sports, let’s play ball.”

Smith, who admitted she wore a Chicago Sky shirt to the game, said she showed up to Gainbridge Saturday as a fan of women’s basketball, more so than of either team.

But after her and her family’s experience on Saturday, Smith said the Fever-Sky game has left her with a bad taste in her mouth, and tough questions to answer from her granddaughter.

“When they announced these ladies, I don’t care what team it was. I was up, hollering and cheering. I just love the game,” Smith said. “[But] it wasn’t a good experience … My granddaughter’s 12. She’s asking questions. Now, I have to answer.”

On Sunday, the WNBA announced they were launching an investigation into alleged racial comments made during the Sky-Fever game on May 17, a source told the Associated Press.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the league had not publicly identified the subject of the taunts or who made the allegations.

“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the league said in a statement. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”

After WGN TV News requested comment from the WNBA, a league spokesperson said they have “no statement subsequent to the one we provided on Sunday.”

The WNBA Players Union released a statement soon after the league’s comment on the matter.

“The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter. Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport,” the statement said. “Under the WNBA’s ‘No Space for Hate’ policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

On Tuesday, Reese and Sky head coach Tyler Marsh were both asked about the WNBA’s investigation at the Sky’s media availability.

“They understand that this is the priority. There is no place for this,” Reese said Tuesday. “I believe every player in this league deserves to be treated with respect – to come to work and just have fun and have a great environment to work at.

“Obviously, it’s tough, but I have a great support system. I’m loved by so many people. Obviously, in the moment, it’s hard to hear, but my support system is great. God has protected me in so many different ways. I’ve gone through so many different things in the past couple of years in my life. Having the support and this love and being a part of an organization that supports me and loves me is just something that I couldn’t imagine not being a part of.”

A team spokesman cut off reporters when Reese was asked if she had previously encountered hate speech during WNBA games.

When asked about the investigation, Marsh said he didn’t hear any racially derogatory comments or remarks while the game was going on.

Clark echoed similar sentiments to Reese and Marsh—that she didn’t hear any racially derogatory comments or remarks during the game, and that there is no room for racism in women’s basketball.

“It’s super loud in here, and though I didn’t hear anything, I think that’s why they’re doing the investigation,” Clark said. “That’s why they’re looking into it. That doesn’t mean nothing happened, so I’ll just trust the league’s investigation, and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing.”

“There’s no place for that in our game, no place for that in our society and certainly we want every person that comes into our arena — whether player, whether fan — to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that [investigation], I appreciate the Fever organization has been at the forefront of this really since Day 1 and what they’re doing. With the investigation, we’ll leave that up to them to find anything and take proper action if so.”

As for Smith and her family, they were thinking about buying tickets to see the Dallas Wings and Paige Bueckers play at the Fever in July, followed by the WNBA All-Star Game, which is also set to be hosted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But now, Smith said, “I don’t feel that way anymore.”

“I’m 56. I’ve endured a whole lot in my life,” Smith said. “That’s just not something I want my granddaughter to experience. I really don’t. She loves the game. I’ll bring her with me again. I just won’t go to Indiana.”

When asked about the situation from Reese’s perspective, Smith said she can’t help but feel for her.

“The poor young lady. And she is. She’s a young woman,” Smith said. “Grown men, grown women have been on her, on her [and] on her since college. She’s a young lady. I know she’s going through the emotions. She has so much on her, and when it comes to Angel, for some reason, everything seems to be negative.

“She’s a—and I don’t want to call her a young child, I don’t—but she’s a young lady, and I’m sure it weighs heavy on her. But she has to put her big girl panties on and brush it up and keep it moving. You know, these are the type of things that can mentally break you down.”

*Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article