The amount of controversy that has dominated conversations in the WNBA over the past few weeks has been relentless. And much of it has been closely tied to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. So it’s no wonder that Indiana Fever guard Bree Hall has found it nearly impossible to scroll through social media without coming across inflammatory narratives.

The Indiana Fever guard even posted about it directly on her own social media, going as far as to say that even her deliberate efforts to avoid the noise have not been enough. 

“Mission impossible: me trying to go a day on social media without seeing propaganda and false storylines about the WNBA. I typically try to avoid all WNBA-related discourse on social media. But it is sad to see so many false narratives that the general public easily accepts as truth. ‘News’ outlets operating as disinformation campaigns. Unfortunate times,” Hall shared on X on Wednesday, but didn’t clarify which outlets she referenced.

After June 24, the Alyssa Thomas-Caitlin Clark flagrant foul incident escalated into a broader conversation about discrimination and targeted hostility. Days later, Thomas publicly called out the WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not standing up for the players.

Then Chelsea Gray faced a similar reaction on Instagram, after being involved in a foul call with Clark during the Fever’s 109-75 win against the Aces.

All of these developments have shifted conversations away from basketball. While the league had already put out a public statement clarifying that they had been in contact with Thomas’ team, the Phoenix Mercury, and condemned the harassment she had to face, they’ve had to do it all over again.

Following Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces, Aces guard Chelsea Gray shared a screenshot of a racial slur directed at her in a direct message on Instagram.

While the individual’s actions prompted Hilton Grand Vacations to fire him and officially condemned such behaviour, the WNBA also put out its own statement.

“There is no place for this behavior in sports or anywhere. And we remain committed to protecting the players and fostering an environment built on respect and inclusion,” the league wrote in an official statement.

Beyond the league’s statement, the individual responsible for the racist message has also been identified and let go from his job. 

Deterrents like this, and the swiftness of the league’s response to address these issues, send a clear and positive message. And maybe, gradually, it will begin to chip away at the toxic cloud that has been hanging over the WNBA.