Caitlin Clark fans criticized by WNBA team owner who warns – ‘This is our league’
Some of Caitlin Clark’s fans are going too hard when it comes to dishing out hate according to a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, who has called their conduct “unacceptable”
Atlanta Dream vice president and part owner Renee Montgomery has called out Caitlin Clark’s hardcore fans for spreading abuse online to other players in the WNBA.
Montgomery, a two-time WNBA champion and former No. 4 pick, is a well-respected figure in women’s basketball and now holds a senior position in the league. Clark has helped boost the popularity of the WNBA and is already a major star despite still being in her rookie season, but Montgomery believes that some of her fans are promoting hate and negativity.
Clark is a hugely popular figure in sports following her success in college basketball, but a group of her fans have recently been labeled “stans” due to their intense fandom. Rivalries are common in sports and it’s welcomed due to the competitive edge it provides in various matchups.
However, Montgomery believes that Clark’s “stans” have taken things too far and called for their “sinister” behavior to stop. “This group cannot be a representation of what the WNBA would want in their league,” Montgomery said in a recent episode of her “Montgomery & Company” podcast
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“This is our league… That ain’t a representation of us. Y’all are not like us. They’re not like us, okay? For instance, diehard (Atlanta) Falcons fans can hate the (New Orleans) Saints. But they will be going a bit too far if they created nude AI pictures of Saints players and sent them to the Saints players’ families. That’s what Caitlin stans have done to Angel Reese.”
Clark and Reese were both in the same WNBA draft class following a heated rivalry in college, which began when Iowa faced LSU in the 2023 national championship game. The two rookies remain one of the biggest talking points in the WNBA, with both athletes constantly facing questions about the other.
It’s created a divide amongst fans, with even casuals feeling pressure to like one and not the other. Earlier this season, fake images of Reese were created and the rookie admitted on her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast that she found it hard to deal with.
Reese didn’t hold Clark accountable and even respected her fans for being die-hard, but said that the abuse was disrespectful and even opened up about receiving death threats. Montgomery has slammed the behavior of some of Clark’s fans toward Reese and asked them to do better.
“It’s OK to be a hater in sports. Hatin’ in sports is a part of the game. I like it when our fans are so engaged and so passionate that they just don’t like the other team,” Montgomery added. “But being racing, sexist, and violent with your words, c’mon now. What are we doing? C’mon now. That’s not acceptable.
“Something sinister is happening online with Caitlin’s fan base and these stans that need to be addressed. So all I’m saying is, sports hate is OK. It’s acceptable. It’s actually welcome. We love the passionate fans. But some of y’all, y’all are taking it too far, man. Do better.”
