New York – The WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, announced shortly before The draft On Monday that the League has gathered a dedicated working group to help fight online hatred and vitriolo directed towards players and teams.
“We want to make sure that WNBA remains a space where all, players, fans and corporate partners, feel safe, valued and empowered,” he said.
Engelbert said the working group will have a four -pointed approach, which includes monitoring social networks and other digital platforms through the use of advanced technology to detect threats and comments. The League will also strengthen behavior standards on WNBA platforms. There will be additional security measures at the League and Equipment level, as well as dedicated doctors of mental health.
“There is no room for hate, and I think there is only a continuous drainage in all of us, the players, the staff, the staff of our teams,” said Engelbert. “After last year, I think we really wanted to do something … It was time to build this working group and really hit it in front, so that’s what we are going to do.”
The commissioner said that the League has worked with team representatives, as well as external groups to help the working group. Many WNBA players spoke last season about the increase in racial, homophobic and misogynist comments on social networks.
During the WNBA finals last season, the New York Freedom Star, Breanna Stewart, said that she and her wife Marta Xargay received homophobic anonymous emails that threaten after game 1.
“It feels good to enter a league that is not only worried about the level of play, but also how we are functioning as humans,” said Chicago Hailey Van Lith’s team.
Van Lith said that in the rookie orientation they showed the players an application that would help filter hate comments. He also thought it was important to keep the hateful comments outside their pages so that young fans do not have to do with them.
“We do not need to expose them to that,” said the former TCU guard. “That is the most important thing. The next generation that looks at us as inspiration, they do not need to know that it is something we go through … it is surprising that the WNBA is supporting the support.”
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