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WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and leadership from the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) met Tuesday, July 21, ahead of the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
On Wednesday, the league and its union released an update on Tuesday's meeting and the following statement:
“Last night, WNBA leadership and members of the WNBPA Executive Committee and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee met for an honest and meaningful conversation about the recent increase in racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players, as well as other matters before the committees.
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“The conversation underscored the importance of addressing issues early through proactive communication and strengthening the league-union relationship. The league committed to continuing to enhance security resources and will work with the players’ union to explore collaborations with organizations that share the values of our league and advance our shared priorities.
“Yesterday’s discussion marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue, and we are united in our commitment to building on this work together.”
The meeting, which included league security, comes on the heels of multiple players flagging issues related to player health and safety during recent weeks.
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas called on the WNBA and Engelbert to take action after she received death threats and online abuse following a one-game suspension for "recklessly" making contact with Caitlin Clark's throat during the Mercury's June 24 111-109 win over the Indiana Fever. Thomas said the league failed to reach out to her about the suspension or in the aftermath of the on-court incident.
"We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy (Engelbert). It's no surprise," Thomas said on June 30. "You can see what's being said on social media ... but as usual, she remains silent and that's unfortunate when our lives are being threatened. ... The league has to do better."
Following Thomas' comments, Engelbert issued a statement. “The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority," Engelbert said.
"We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community. The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.”
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Engelbert exchanged text messages with Thomas and offered to have a phone call with her last week. Engelbert also directed league security to contact Phoenix security amid ongoing threats. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
USA TODAY Sports reached out to the Mercury for additional comment, but a request was not immediately answered.
Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray also spoke out about the abuse players have received. Gray said she hoped "people will think twice now" before spreading hate after a Hilton Grand Vacations employee was fired for directing a racial slur towards her online.
"Enough is kind of enough," the Aces guard said on Wednesday, July 15, about the racial abuse she received. "These messages are not the first of (their) kind. There was other stuff too … It was just time. I got fed up with it, and I just decided to share it."
Gray revealed she experienced a wave of emotions since "putting myself out there" to shed light on the harassment some Black WNBA players regularly face. She said she hoped making the slur public would give a realistic look at what she and others experience, "so people can see it and can't ignore it."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA, players' union discuss safety issues ahead of 2026 All‑Star Game
