Alyssa Thomas calls out "racial comments from Indiana Fever fanbase" in impassioned statement after first-round win

Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas spoke out against the abuse that WNBA players from other teams have endured throughout the season from the Indiana Fever fanbase. Thomas delivered an impassioned rant after the Sun's 87-81 victory over the Fever in Game 2 on Wednesday, securing their first-round playoff series win and advancing to the next round.

The 32-year-old veteran star expressed that in her 11-year career, she has never copped social media abuse to this extent.

Thomas emphasized the need for immediate action, calling on the league and the Indiana Fever franchise to address the issue with urgency and take decisive steps to eliminate such behavior.

"Honestly, it's been a lot of nonsense. I think in my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments (like) from the Indiana Fever fan base ... It's unacceptable, honestly, and there's no place for it," Thomas said.

"We've been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I've never been called the things that I've been called on social media, and there's no place for it," she continued.

Here's the full video of Alyssa Thomas' statement:

Thomas' statement follows her teammate DiJonai Carrington's recent criticism of the Indiana Fever fanbase just a few days prior.

"The Indiana Fever have the nastiest fans in the W. ew," Carrington had said in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) after the Sun's 84-80 loss against the Fever at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on August 28.

Sun and Fever coach speak out on racism

Alyssa Thomas wasn’t the only one to call out fans for their inappropriate behavior and comments toward WNBA players. Both Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White and Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides also addressed the issue after the game.

White emphasized that racism is completely "unacceptable" and placed the responsibility on the media to do a better job in shaping the narrative responsibly.

"We've seen a lot of racism, sexism, hamophobia, transphobia, throughout the course of our country," White told reporters.

"Sport is no exception, It's unacceptable, to be quite honest, I think the thing that frustrates me the most is that is that we, I say we because I have worked in television as well-but we in the media have to do a a better better job of not allowing trials on social media to become the story," she continued.

Here's the full video of Stephanie White's statement:

Fever coach Sides echoed White's sentiments and made a strong statement while addressing the problem.

"There’s a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there that’s happening, and it’s unacceptable. It’s unacceptable for any of these guys. This is basketball, this is their job, and they’re doing the best they can." said Sides.

Here's the full video of Christie Sides' statement:

Meanwhile, the Fever were eliminated from the playoffs, while the Connecticut Sun advanced to the next round, where they will face off against the Minnesota Lynx.