Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby became the target of racist abuse over the weekend after she was ejected from Saturday’s WNBA game following a flagrant foul.
Hamby was tossed after striking Connecticut Sun forward Raegan Beers in the face with an elbow. The Sparks star later suggested the incident came after Beers had hit her in the stomach, implying her reaction was retaliatory.
On Monday, Hamby shared a screenshot on social media showing a text message from an unidentified number that contained racist language directed at her.
The message called Hamby “dirty” and used an anti-Black slur, adding that she “should” be put “in a zoo” before calling her an “animal.” It was also accompanied by a monkey emoji.
Hamby posted the screenshot alongside the question, “Anyone know this number?” Soon after, several of her supporters appeared to trace the phone number to a man in New Jersey.
Some fans then circulated screenshots they said showed the alleged sender’s political affiliation, details of a previous court case and his place of employment, while others claimed they had reported the messages to the company’s human resources department.
Los Angeles Sparks standout Dearica Hamby was targeted with racist abuse after her ejection
Hamby shared a screenshot of a message from an unknown number containing racist language and imagery
This came after Hamby was ejected for throwing an elbow at Sun forward Raegan Beers
Hamby is not the only player in the WNBA who was targeted with racial abuse after committing a hard foul.
The biggest controversy came earlier this season when Caitlin Clark was hit in the throat by Phoenix Mercury veteran Alyssa Thomas as they both dove for a loose ball.
Thomas was retroactively suspended by the league, but received death threats and racial abuse from Clark’s online fanbase.
The abuse not only targeted Thomas, but her wife and her children as well.
‘Our families are being threatened,’ Thomas, who is Black, told reporters. ‘Kids are being threatened. People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff.
‘There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred,’ she continued. ‘The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that was, honestly, a complete accident, no one even knew what happened, it’s just unfortunate.’
Clark, meanwhile, publicly disavowed the hate directed at Thomas: ‘As I’ve stood up here and said before, like the harassment, the hate, none of that is okay.
‘That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches, there should never be a question of character,’ Clark told reporters.
Beers hit the court in pain as Hamby was assessed a Flagrant 2 and had her night end early
Hamby (seen clutching her stomach in pain) says the elbow was retaliation for a hit from Beers
Earlier this year, Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was suspended after hitting Caitlin Clark in the throat as the two players dove for a loose ball – leading to racial abuse aimed at Thomas
Days after that incident, Chelsea Gray (12) was abused for a non-foul on Clark in the post
Days after the Thomas incident, another WNBA star – Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces – was targeted over contact she made with Clark.
Gray was posted up against Clark in the paint when she pivoted and slammed her elbow into the Fever guard’s midsection, causing her to dramatically double over.
Officials reviewed the play for a hostile act, didn’t find reason to escalate the call, and upheld their call of a foul on Clark for flopping.
Like Thomas, Gray was subject to racial abuse from Clark’s fans as she shared some of many DMs she received.
‘People act like we just make this s*** up,’ Gray wrote in her caption. ‘And the audacity to tell us as athletes to “shut up and dribble.”‘
