Getty Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty looks on during Game 2 of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx on October 13, 2024
New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart and her wife, retired pro basketball player Marta Xargay Casademont, received homophobic death threats from an anonymous person during the second week of October 2024, according to The New York Post.
The report noted that Casademont walked into the NYPD’s 78th Precinct in Brooklyn on Thursday, October 10 to report that she had received an expletive-laden homophobic email from an anonymous sender. And it was apparently not the first time she and Stewart, who tied the knot in July 2021, were on the receiving end of such threats.
Per the police report, the heinous email included passages such as, “I hope someone shoots your wife dead” and “I hope you both die” along with homophonic slurs.
WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart’s wife hit with vicious anti-gay email: ‘I hope you both die’ t.co/016VWCNykg
The Post’s source added that the email was tracked back to an IP address that had been associated with similarly notorious activity in the past.
“Sources added that a memo by NBA security said the email was sent from an Internet address that has been associated with other hateful missives, including death threats, bomb threats and more racist rhetoric,” read the report.
Police sources reveal that Breanna Stewart and her wife have received homophobic death threats
(Via @nypost )
WNBA Players Have Been Targeted for Years
WNBA’s players have been subject to homophobic slurs over the years, bet it on social media or in arenas during games. But their personal lives seemingly came under a larger microscope following the arrivals of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in 2024, which led to the league witnessing a huge surge in popularity. Both players also brought with them rabid fanbases to the WNBA, which led to several of their peers getting vilified.
One incident that typified that behavior occurred during Game 1 of the WNBA Playoffs between Fever and Sun when Clark was struck in the eye by DiJonai Carrington. In subsequent days and weeks, Carrington was floored with death threats on social media for attempting to hurt Clark, even as the Fever superstar dubbed it an accident.
The incident opened up a bigger debate about WNBA players being subject to homophobia and racism for many years.
Sun coach Stephanie White touched upon it after the Clark-Carrington incident.
“We’ve seen a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia throughout the course of our country. Sport is no exception, and it’s unacceptable, to be quite honest,” she said via The Washington Post.
Breanna Stewart Chasing WNBA GOAT Status
ESPN analyst Andraya Carter highlighted why female basketball players were unfairly targeted for bucking societal norms and trends.
“It’s heartbreaking that … the excitement around the league is at its highest, but the racial slurs and the derogatory comments and the online bullying are also at their worst.”
ESPN’s Andraya Carter says there is “no space” for WNBA fans who dish hate:
“It’s also a league that thrives on women that truly take pride in inclusivity, in diversity, and welcoming others and protecting marginalized groups. And so there’s no room for racism. There’s no room for bullying. There’s no room for derogatory comments.
“As much as we want this league to grow, we will grow slower if it means leaving those [bigoted] fans out of the mix,” she said on ESPN SportsCenter, via Awful Announcing.
Stewart’s Liberty clinched the best record in the 2024 WNBA regular season and tied the WNBA Finals at one win apiece against the Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
If Stewart were to guide the Liberty to the 2024 WNBA championship, she’d inch closer to G.O.A.T. status. Before the 2024 Finals, Stewart, 30, had already won two WNBA titles, two Finals MVPs and two MVP awards, besides dominating college basketball with four consecutive championships at Duke. A third WNBA title could put her in a class by herself, possibly ahead of Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sheryl Swoopes.
Comments
Breanna Stewart, Wife Facing Homophobic Death Threats: Police