It’s one game into the new WNBA season … and I’m already exhausted by the drama around Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark

We’re only 1 crippled into nan caller WNBA schedule and I’m already exhausted.

After conscionable 40 minutes of action, everything is — once again — mired successful middle-school mean woman controversies. Proxy title wars person launched each complete X. And there’s a heated crossfire between commentators for illustration Ryan Clark, Emmanuel Acho and Robert Griffin III complete whether aliases not Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark.

(I person a emotion neither person immoderate existent emotion for each different — and who cares).

It’s gonna beryllium 1 agelong season, folks.

In Saturday’s game, Clark and nan Indiana Fever — having loaded up connected talent successful free agency — blew retired Reese’s Chicago Sky. It was a 35-point walloping that included Clark netting a triple double and her teammate DeWanna Bonner moving up to league’s 3rd all-time scorer.

On 1 hand, nan convention knew putting these 2 teams together would bring eyeballs. On nan other, it’s each devolved into a sideshow involving nebulous claims of racism.

During nan 3rd quarter, Clark fouled Reese arsenic she was going for a layup — and Reese charged astatine Clark, but nan Fever’s Aliyah Boston stepped into nan fray to protect her prima guard. Reese was held backmost by her coach and shouted what sounded for illustration immoderate f-bombs astatine Clark. It was upgraded to a flagrant foul against Clark, and some Reese and Boston were deed pinch technicals.

In emblematic form, Clark yapped astatine nan refs and disputed that it was flagrant. After nan game, she acknowledged that it was up to nan officials.

As nan Sky guardant went to nan free-throw line, nan Indiana hometown crowd astatine Gainbridge erupted successful boos and jeers. After all, this is basketball, not a knitting circle.

As for Reese?

“Basketball play,” she said. “Refs sewage it right. Move on.”

Sure. Except this convention has a knack of digging into delirium that overshadows nan game.

The WNBA is now investigating charges of “hateful comments” astatine Saturday’s game. There are nary specifications astir nan allegations, wherever they came from aliases who they were directed at, but nan convention is sending nan hounds successful to sniff retired a group narrative, dammit.

“The WNBA powerfully condemns racism, dislike and favoritism successful each forms — they person nary spot successful our convention aliases successful society,” nan convention said successful a statement. “We are alert of nan allegations and are looking into nan matter.”

Though location are immoderate theories that nan allegations stem from a fan’s X account, who whitethorn aliases whitethorn not person been astatine nan game. This personification claimed location were monkey sounds being made erstwhile Reese was astatine nan line.

If thing for illustration that really occurred, 1 would expect an involution mid-game aliases a connection successful nan station game. Cameras drawback each offense, perceived aliases real.

“There was nary of that,” Dave Portnoy, who was courtside, said connected X. “It was a awesome crowd, a affirmative crowd. Yeah, Angel Reese deserved to get her ass booed erstwhile she attacked Caitlin connected a normal foul. Other than that, what are you talking about?”

Sky CEO Adam Fox said nan squad “welcome” nan investigation. “We will do everything successful our powerfulness to protect Chicago Sky players, and we promote nan convention to proceed taking meaningful steps to create a safe situation for each WNBA players.”

The convention regularly touts hard-nosed hoops and a fierce competitiveness.

And yet overmuch of nan ethos still feels stuck successful its pre-Clark era, erstwhile nan privilege was intersectionality and societal justness done hoops. When nan crippled was ever a secondary pursuit.

The WNBA beingness regularly gives into each divisive distraction — and indulging nan wishful racism of online trolls. Many of whom person assigned an imaginary KKK personality to nan Indiana fanbase.

Last year, aft nan Fever was eliminated from nan playoffs, much of nan sermon centered astir online trolls and mean fans. Never mind that location was truthful still overmuch much meaningful hoops to beryllium played by different teams.

Among nan complainers was Phoenix Mercury subordinate Brittney Griner, who said she didn’t “appreciate nan caller fans that beryllium location and outcry group slurs astatine myself, my teammates and nan group that I play against.” There had been nary denotation an of that had occurred, though Clark did person a instrumentality temporarily removed from a lucifer against nan Connecticut Sun. (Not that we cognize nan story. She hasn’t talked astir it.)

But it’s for illustration erstwhile Fever subordinate Erica Wheeler said past year, while acknowledging that squad gets heaps of maltreatment too: “We conscionable don’t attraction astir it. Because what’s important is this statement and america winning games.”

Getting unnecessary blowback is an unfortunate broadside effect of nan spotlight — thing nan convention has successful its grips acknowledgment to nan move showmanship of Clark.

The WNBA tin beforehand its merchandise aliases it tin beforehand useless investigations. It’s their choice, but for nan liking of nan game, I dream they support it connected nan court.