Bonner\u2019s teammate Kahleah Copper<\/a> didn\u2019t mince words in a postgame press conference, calling the response \u201cdisrespectful\u201d and \u201cunnecessary,\u201d<\/a> especially toward someone widely regarded as one of the greatest players in WNBA history. Retired legend Candace Parker<\/a>, on the other hand, saw it differently.<\/p>\n On her Post Moves podcast<\/a>, she suggested the boos reflected the league\u2019s growth. \u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to be booed,\u201d she said, noting that only players who matter draw that kind of reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark\u201d is out now!<\/p>\n Howard Megdal\u2019s newest book is here! \u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar\u201d captures both the historic nature of Clark\u2019s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.<\/p>\n Many players, such as the Washington Mystics<\/a>\u2018 Shakira Austin<\/a>, reframe the negativity as motivation, turning boos into fuel.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it,\u201d Austin told reporters during pregame availability against the Sparks on August 17 when asked how she feels about being booed. \u201cI\u2019m the type of person who thrives on it. People talking at the end of the day gets me going. \u2026 We just got to continue to build and create a space where we can compete and amplify winning basketball. I\u2019ll take the boos. I\u2019ll take the cheers, and I think most people will. We appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n These may be contrasting takes, but they each pivot toward the same truth \u2014 it\u2019s time to have an honest and hard conversation about fan behavior, both inside the arena and in the digital spaces where vitriol often festers unchecked.<\/p>\n That tension between players embracing boos and the league recognizing the harm it causes came to the surface last season in highly scrutinized incidents involving Caitlin Clark<\/a>, DiJonai Carrington<\/a> and Angel Reese<\/a>. During the playoffs, Carrington was the subject of vile online threats<\/a>. The WNBA, which denounced those threats with a statement, unveiled its\u00a0\u201cNo Space for Hate\u201d\u00a0campaign after a challenging year in which poisonous discourse and threats were amplified.<\/p>\n The campaign is a season-long initiative that combines enhanced security, digital monitoring and mental health resources with a clear message: hostility has no place in the league\u2019s arenas, nor in its online spaces. The league provides pregame videos, slips of paper in court-side seats and pop-up banners around arenas with reminders of expected fan etiquette.<\/p>\n As Hannah Huseman, founder of Mental Sweat LLC and a former mental health coach with the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, explained, booing and the way players react to it is very individual. \u201cI think for some people, it can have a profound impact on the court \u2026 and for others, it may not be heard at all,\u201d Huseman said. \u201cMaybe they\u2019re good at blocking out the outside noise, and they\u2019re good at focusing on the task at hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Showing love and working through the negativity<\/p>\n Fans rarely see the other side of the game. This includes the pregame hugs, countless moments of authenticity, playful interruptions and off-court support that reveal the league\u2019s culture of respect. Those moments matter because they remind us that the WNBA\u2019s story is bigger than jeers, even if the jeers are growing.<\/p>\n Fans don\u2019t often witness wonderful pregame interactions such as Austin hugging Cameron Brink<\/a> a few hours before they would be locked in an intense battle full of aggressive play. Yet, once the game is finished, there\u2019s nothing personal. Fans also aren\u2019t privy to Los Angeles Sparks<\/a> veteran guard Kelsey Plum<\/a> crashing Alysha Clark<\/a>\u2018s pregame interview by pledging to donate money to her foundation. These types of moments occur all the time, and they push against the narrative that players dislike one another because of the passion displayed during games.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t speak on other people\u2019s experiences,\u201d Clark shared with The Next before the Mystics defeated the Sparks on August 17 at CareFirst Arena. \u201cThere\u2019s always been banter, there\u2019s always been people that say things about how you play. I haven\u2019t had anything in person that has been volatile. You see it more on social media when people are behind keyboards, but they would never say that to you in person. I block all that out. I block people left and right on social media. I filter my feed because I don\u2019t want to be exposed to that or read that.\u201d<\/p>\n The distinction between competitive noise and hostility is becoming increasingly blurred in today\u2019s climate, as toxic elements like gambling, social media and an entertainment culture that glorifies hostility often morph dogged play into nastiness. Players like Las Vegas\u2019 A\u2019ja Wilson<\/a> and Reese have learned to navigate negativity, filter it out, and even turn it into platforms for empowerment.<\/p>\n \u201cIgnoring negativity because it just comes with being true and secure in who you are,\u201d Wilson told reporters before a game in Las Vegas recently. \u201cNo outside fan that has never done what you do on a nightly basis can ever tell you what to do or discourage you from doing something. Until they\u2019ve been in your shoes and walked your life, they really shouldn\u2019t have a say, and don\u2019t allow that energy to even seep into your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson\u2019s words underscored the mental discipline it takes to block out outside voices. Yet in the social media era, even the best filters can\u2019t stop the noise.<\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n Subscribe now to The IX Sports<\/a> and receive our daily women\u2019s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.<\/p>\n Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.<\/p>\n Psychologists have long observed<\/a> that humans tend to pay more attention to negativity, a bias that today\u2019s sports media and algorithms often exploit. Harmful content that triggers anger, fear or sadness, such as TikTok videos that amplify animosity, tends to spread faster than genuine connection, and platforms like X (formerly Twitter) often intensify those emotionally charged posts.<\/p>\n The result is a disappearance of nuance: athletes are cast as either heroes or villains, complex stories are reduced to soundbites, and positive work off the court is overshadowed. The constant churn of criticism, both on the court and on the internet, creates an environment where hostility feels louder than respect.<\/p>\n \u2018Cyberbullying is real\u2019<\/p>\n Few players illustrate this better than Reese. Branded with the derisive nickname \u2018mebounds\u2019 by online trolls, the second-year Chicago Sky<\/a> forward has flipped the insult into a serious conversation about cyberbullying, resilience and empowerment.<\/p>\n Reese has trademarked \u201cMebounds\u201d<\/a> and is selling merchandise that funds anti-cyberbullying work. Off the court, she\u2019s poured energy into community projects, from refurbishing playgrounds to distributing over 2,000 school supply-filled backpacks in Chicago. She\u2019s also the face of Reebok, appears on the cover of 2K26<\/a>, and continues to grow her foundation.<\/p>\n Yet, much of this positivity rarely appears in headlines. For all of Reese\u2019s success, she reminds people that the hate she endures is real, and the toll it has on her mental health is not to be disregarded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve gotten rich off hate,\u201d Reese shared with The Next before a game in Los Angeles on June 29 following her intense pregame shooting routine. \u201cI\u2019ve been able to do so many great things off of hate. \u2026 Cyberbullying is real. People deal with that shit every day. I don\u2019t think we should take that lightly. Mental health is something I think we brush under the rug as well.\u201d<\/p>\n For many players, including Reese, the hate is fuel. Still, it also underscores a more profound truth about how players live with constant scrutiny and must maintain an endless balancing act of controlling what they can and blocking out what they can\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cI try to focus on what I can focus on,\u201d Reese explained. \u201cThe real know who I am. I won a national championship, and everything that came with it, which was positive, but obviously, I can\u2019t control the narrative. \u2026 I keep the main thing the main thing, and that\u2019s basketball. \u2026 I\u2019m happy to be where I am as long as my family and my friends and people around me are good, that\u2019s all I care about. I try to give back to the community or somebody that\u2019s in need. \u2026 I don\u2019t do it for show, I don\u2019t do it for cameras or anything, but I know how much it\u2019s important to have somebody to give back and being able to be an inspiration for young girls.\u201d<\/p>\n The internet\u2019s unforgiving role<\/p>\n Thirteen years into her career, Golden State Valkyrie veteran Tiffany Hayes<\/a> has noticed how growing crowds and constant connectivity have changed the tenor of fan interactions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a little more intense now,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cI mean, there are a lot more fans in our league now, different fans that have come in at this time, and, you know, they might have come from the college space. So it\u2019s just different fans. It was negative back then as well. However, it\u2019s simply that there\u2019s more internet available now. So, the more time you spend on the internet, the more you\u2019ll encounter negativity \u2014 everybody\u2019s talking about it and spreading the negativity.\u201d<\/p>\n The constant exposure to negativity and online criticism can adversely impact the mental health of athletes, leading to decreased confidence, anxiety and burnout.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some fans feel closer to players than ever before because of the access they provide into their personal lives, passions and personas online, which can sometimes lead to entitlement. Still, many players embrace the genuine connections they can foster with fans, both through in-person interactions and online avenues. Cameron Brink<\/a> signed autographs before the Mystics game while Rickea Jackson<\/a> posed for photos, reminders that moments of positivity carry weight. For Wilson, even the smallest gestures from fans matter.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI would just focus on the fans who are positive,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThe love that they give \u2014 just a simple best of luck, best wishes \u2014 and not always just harping on the X\u2019s and O\u2019s of basketball goes a long way for me. To know that you care about me deeper than the uniform is always big.\u201d<\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n Here at The IX Basketball, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n Hayes acknowledged that negativity spreads faster in today\u2019s hyper-connected world. Yet for veterans like Natasha Cloud<\/a>, the growth of the game has also brought a different perspective: the joy of watching fandom itself evolve. In her 10th year, Cloud sees both the scars of criticism and the beauty of progress.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trajectory of our fan base? It\u2019s night and day,\u201d Cloud said. \u201cYears ago, we weren\u2019t playing in Barclays. We were in Westchester. MSG wasn\u2019t filled for us the way it is now. To see where we\u2019ve come from, and where we\u2019re headed \u2014 it\u2019s a beautiful thing. This is my 10th year in the league, and I\u2019m thankful I\u2019ve been part of both the growing process of our game.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed to New York fans as an example of how boos and cheers can coexist with respect.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always felt love in arenas like Barclays,\u201d Cloud said, even when she was an opponent and now in her first year as a member of the Liberty. \u201cI could come in, talk my shit, play hard, and yeah, maybe get booed or jaw back and forth. But after the game? It\u2019s always love, because they appreciate how hard you play. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s still a standard here,\u201d Cloud continued. \u201cIf we\u2019re booing you, maybe look inward at why. But overall, our fan base is really cool. Even when we played in Valhalla, their fans were super sweet and supportive. We can have our rivalries, but at the end of the day, it\u2019s all love. That\u2019s part of what makes this league special \u2014 the fans are just as important to the game as we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Cloud didn\u2019t shy away from reminding people of what players endure beyond the court.<\/p>\n \u201cI always say, if every average Joe that talks shit on Twitter had to do a nine-to-five of our job, they\u2019d stop real quick,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we sacrifice with our families, the travel, what our bodies go through \u2014 mentally, physically, emotionally. \u2026 We already critique ourselves \u2014 I\u2019ll be the first to tell you if I had too many turnovers. I don\u2019t need you telling me I ruined your parlay \u2026 But if you talk a little shit during the game and then come up after like, \u2018hey, I appreciate you,\u2019 I\u2019m good with that. It\u2019s all love. That\u2019s what this league is about.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re only human<\/p>\n Even though players like Los Angeles Sparks<\/a> second-year forward Rickea Jackson<\/a> grew up with older brothers and played on the Detroit courts where trash-talking was a way of life, she knows that tough origin stories don\u2019t give fans a license to be disrespectful toward players.<\/p>\n Yet too often social media users forget that WNBA players are humans. They\u2019re mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins and friends. They play a game they love at the highest level, but players have plenty of layers to them. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re humans too,\u201d Jackson shared pregame before they played the Mystics. \u201cWe have lives outside of basketball. The only difference is we have cameras in our face \u2014 you probably do the same things at home, but I get criticized because it\u2019s on camera. We don\u2019t want to play badly, we don\u2019t want to miss shots, we don\u2019t want to turn the ball over. If we could be perfect, we\u2019d choose to be perfect every night. But every night isn\u2019t our night \u2014 so remember, we\u2019re human.\u201d<\/p>\n Huseman says players can draw on a toolkit of strategies to manage the noise and preserve performance \u2014 beginning with\u00a0awareness, preparation and managing expectations before stepping into a hostile arena. Training the mind\u00a0to focus on the right things at the right time is critical, as is developing routines to\u00a0limit distractions such as handing off social media accounts, setting boundaries or filtering out toxic commentary before it reaches their eyes. Others lean on\u00a0coping mechanisms\u00a0in the moment, like deep breathing, listening to music or refocusing with a trusted teammate.<\/p>\n \u201cAthletes carry so much on their plates, just like all of us,\u201d Huseman added. \u201cThe key isn\u2019t pretending the weight isn\u2019t there. It\u2019s learning how to carry it in a way that doesn\u2019t break you, but strengthens you. The noise may never go away, but it doesn\u2019t have to define you. With preparation and perspective, those moments of pressure can become reminders of how strong you\u2019ve learned to be.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755886628_233_Untitled-design-13.png\")
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Washington Mystics center\/forward Shakira Austin (0) reacts during a game against the Phoenix Mercury at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The Next)<\/p>\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DAA1013.jpg\")
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese waves to fans after a game against the Washington Mystics at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., on June 6, 2024. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The Next)<\/p>\n![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755886630_820_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
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Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) shoots against Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (14) and guard Kate Martin (right) at Chase Center in San Francisco on May 16, 2025. (Photo credit: Darren Yamashita | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n