Minneapolis – New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart says she and her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, received threatening, homophobic anonymous emails after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
The emails went straight to Xargay Casademont’s account, which was a bit unnerving for the couple, Stewart said at practice on Tuesday.
“The fact that it ended up in Marta’s email is something that she (needed) to see. The level of closeness was a little bit different,” she said. “Make sure that everything goes well with me and Marta, but that our children are safest.”
“I think it was especially scary for Marta,” ESPN quotes Stewart as saying.
Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for NBC Universal
According to ESPN, Stewart and Xargay Casademont have two children: three-year-old Ruby and 11-month-old Theo.
Stewart had a chance to win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, but missed one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left in regulation and then a potential tying goal at the overtime buzzer. Minnesota ultimately won the game and now the series is tied at 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Wednesday night in Minnesota.
The two-time MVP said she informed the team about the emails and they escalated them to league security.
“We’re taking the right precautions. I think the threats will continue to increase after Game 1,” Stewart said. “We love that people are involved in our sport, but not to the point where threats, intimidation or homophobic comments are made.”
The New York Post was the first to report the threats.
Stewart said Xargay Casademont filed a police complaint on the advice of the team and security.
“When you’re in the finals and things like that, it makes sense to submit something formal,” Stewart said.
The New York Police Department confirmed it had received a report of serious harassment involving emails sent to “a 33-year-old victim.” The department’s hate crimes task force is investigating, a spokesperson for the department’s media relations team said.
Stewart said she normally doesn’t look at most of the messages she receives and they usually go to her desk, but when her wife informed her about it, she wanted fans to know there is no place for it.
“For me to use this platform to let people know that it is unacceptable to bring this to our sport,” she said.
There have been many more online threats to players this season via social media and email.
“We continue to emphasize that there is absolutely no room for hateful or threatening comments about players, teams or anyone associated with the WNBA,” a WNBA spokesperson said. “We are aware of the latest issue and are working with league and team security and law enforcement on appropriate safety measures.”
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke in her state-of-the-league address before Game 1 about the rising number of attacks players have faced on social media.
She said there is no place for it and that the league will work with the players’ union to figure out what they can do together to combat it.
Engelbert mentioned technology and mental health support.
“It’s just something where we have to continue to be a voice for it, a voice against it, condemn it and make sure we take every opportunity to support our players, who have been dealing with this for much longer than this year.” , says Engelbert.
ESPN reports that Stewart said, “There has to be a little bit of a protocol or something before the season because this year especially, it’s really starting to happen.”
