“It’s unacceptable and honestly there’s no place for it.” While the first round of playoffs finished with all the top-seeded teams sweeping their opponents, what took the center stage was players raising their voices against hateful comments and threats from so-called fans, especially after Connecticut Sun’s DiJonai Carrington unintentionally gave star rookie Caitlin Clark a black eye. Among those voices, Alyssa Thomas’ words took the spotlight as she demanded immediate action by the league. Well, it seems the Sun star’s request didn’t sit well with an NBA insider who has another part of the story to tell.

During the post-game press conference following Game 2 against the Fever, Thomas took a moment to address the growing hate she felt was unacceptable in the league. Her comments didn’t go unnoticed; just a day later, they caught the attention of sports analyst Dan Dakich. However, it appears to have ignited a sense of denial and anger in Dakich, prompting him to retweet a clip from Thomas’ press conference with the remark “This is total bullsh-t…”

But that’s not all. The 61-year-old sportscaster had a story to share, one that, if accurate, might explain his frustration. Dakich shared that it was actually the Fever rookie, Caitlin Clark, who experienced hostility from the Sun players. According to him, this situation escalated to the point where the franchise’s General Manager, Lin Dunn, had to step in and approach the league office to address the issue and put an end to the mistreatment.

While the truth of Dakich’s claims hinges on his credibility, his anger could be validated if his account holds water. It’s worth noting that the wave of hateful comments that Alyssa Thomas highlighted—comments that Dakich seems to dispute—began after an incident during Game 1 of the first round.

The playoff drama that gave rise to the tensions

The excitement among the Fever fans was obvious as their team was stepping to take the court in the playoffs after eight years. Moreover, it was a special moment for Caitlin Clark, who, after having a record-breaking season, reached the playoffs right in her rookie year. However, what unfolded with just 90 seconds on the clock was not what anybody would have expected.

While Fever’s No. 22 aimed to deliver a perfect pass to her teammate, Aliyah Boston, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington leaped in an attempt to block her. Just as Clark released the ball toward Boston, Carrington followed the ball movement, inadvertently landing her finger beneath Clark’s eye in the process. To make matters worse, fans were fuming when the referee didn’t call a foul on the play.

Although Clark quickly returned to the game after the incident, the drama didn’t end there. When she appeared at the post-game press conference, her eye was noticeably black and swollen, prompting some fans to voice their frustrations. Many speculated that the rookie’s performance against the Sun suffered due to the events of the first quarter, fueling their passion even more.

As the dust settled, NaLyssa Smith, Clark’s teammate on the Fever, shared some shocking news claiming her girlfriend, Carrington, received death threats in the aftermath of Game 1. After the Sun swept the Fever in Game 2, Nai’s teammate Alyssa Thomas also voiced her concerns, stating “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.”

Clark also stepped up to address the behavior, which she called ‘upsetting’. “Those aren’t fans, those are trolls. It’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA,” the Fever guard said.

While Dan Dakich’s account offers a different perspective on the situation, it’s challenging to choose one side definitively. What’s clear, however, is that hate or trolling affecting a player’s life off the court is unacceptable and, as Thomas emphasized, it’s crucial that these issues be tackled head-on and as soon as possible.