Debates around online harassment in the WNBA have exploded in the aftermath of Alyssa Thomas’ flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark during their June 24 game. Yet less than three weeks after the incident and a league-wide condemnation of what Thomas had to face, Las Vegas Aces’ Chelsea Gray faced a similar ordeal after their July 12 game with Indiana. Now, the WNBPA has announced it will sit with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Tuesday to find a possible solution.

“It’s literally a temperature check of everything from the first half of the season. The security and the negative effects from sports betting is really hitting home for a lot of people and definitely not what you want. But it happens when the sport gets bigger and bigger,” Breanna Stewart, WNBPA VP, said, as per Just Women’s Sports.

For instance, after her flagrant comments on Clark, Thomas had to face extreme backlash and threats on social media. She even spoke about it to the media on June 30, questioning why the WNBA and Engelbert had remained silent.

“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy [Engelbert],” Thomas said, as per The Guardian. “It’s no surprise. You could see what’s being said on social media. Yeah – it’s unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That’s unfortunate when our lives our being threatened.”

The WNBA’s official statement came after Thomas publicly called out the league’s commissioner.

“The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate. The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority… The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players,” Engelbert wrote in a statement to Yahoo Sports.

Besides Thomas and Gray, several other players, including Natasha Cloud and Caitlin Clark, have been subjected to such treatment in their social spaces in the past. However, the league’s lack of proactiveness in addressing these situations after they happen has also become an issue for many.

WNBPA Secretary Shares Her Take on Cathy Engelbert

WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams pointed out that the Commissioner and the league have recently lacked proactiveness when responding to this situation.

“Things are always addressed after the fact,” Williams said, as per the NY Times. “It takes controversy or a little bit of heat before statements are made or before things are addressed. Early on when (Engelbert) first joined, she was a little bit more proactive and that helped build her relationship with players. And now it doesn’t necessarily feel that way.”

In fact, the WNBA was not the first to respond after Gray’s incident either. On July 15, ESPN confirmed that Hilton Grand Vacations has fired its employee after he was identified as the one who sent Gray the text.

“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way,” the company said in its statement on Wednesday.

However, Gray had shared the screenshot on Monday, and the WNBA also released its statement on Wednesday, saying it “stands with Chelsea and every member of our league.”

While limiting opinions and comments on social media can be difficult, the WNBA had also started its ‘No Space for Hate’ campaign ahead of the 2026 season to combat this exact problem. However, with repeated incidents, the WNBPA feels a more direct conversation is necessary.