Several WNBA athletes are calling for the league to do more for player safety while traveling after Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was openly harassed by a man who recorded the entire altercation at an airport.
The WNBA says Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates were confronted by a “provocateur” at a Dallas airport on Saturday.
The Twitter user and YouTube personality posted a video that appears to show a part of the confrontation where the individual asks questions of Griner about “why she hates America?”
Former ESPN host Jemele Hill would take to Twitter and call that guy out for his behavior.
Griner has been warmly received by crowds at home in Phoenix and on the road. This marks the first time she has been heckled since her return from a Russian colony.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said on social media, after the incident, that she feels that all teams need to charter flights.
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“Brittney Griner and the WNBA players are leaders who inspire hope for a better, more inclusive, and less divided America,” Kagawa Colas said. “They are celebrated for the ways their activism inspires positive change. In doing that, they also become targets for hate, threats, and violence. And today’s incident is a clear reminder of that. We cannot celebrate these women and their leadership without also protecting them. It’s past time for charters and enhanced security measures for all players.”
The Mercury released a statement saying the team will be working with the league on next steps.
“We are committed to our support of BG and advocating for all American hostages abroad,” the team statement reads. “We will continue our support of marginalized communities and fighting the kind of hate that targeted us today. No one, regardless of identity, should ever fear for their safety.”
This open harassment of her may lead to more people trying to do the same things for views as we do live in a copycat society filled with people willing to do anything for clout or buzz online.
In the meantime, Griner hasn’t missed a beat on the court as she is averaging 22.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists a game for the Phoenix Mercury.
