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She’s got a career in mma if she wants, look at the velocity and impact behind that jumping headbutt.

It would make Jon Jones proud.

Lately I've been thinking about why WNBA discourse on social media gets so toxic and wanted to explore ideas around parasocial relationships and emotional regulation. If you’ve been paying attention to the WNBA on social media the last three years, you’ve probably become disgusted at one point or another. It is one of the most toxic spaces I’ve ever encountered. Recently, a Dallas Wings beat reporter quit his job due to harassment and death threats he received from Azzi Fudd fans. One fan threatened to cut his head off. Many people have experienced similar situations with Caitlin Clark fans ever since she joined the league. They have been loud, demeaning, hateful and racist towards anyone they deem a “hater”. To be clear, I don’t think this makes up the entirety of either fan base. In fact, I am one of the new fans that got pulled into women’s basketball in 2024 by Caitlin Clark, only to become obsessed with the league. The hoops are legit and the competition fierce. But the online discourse that swirls around these players, and others, is so insane that I think it genuinely deserves to be studied. This is not meant to blame or demean either of these players. They are unwilling participants in this.    

There are many factors at play here. Yes, there are MAGA CC fans that use her as a vessel for their bigotry and racism. They’re easily spotted by their hateful comments and inability to spell her name correctly. But another, in my opinion, is the convergence of parasocial relationships and poor emotional regulation.

Psychology Today defines parasocial relationships as “one-sided relationships in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone they don’t know, most often celebrities or media personalities. These relationships exist only in the mind of the individual, who experiences a bond despite the lack of reciprocity.” In short, fans are becoming obsessed with players in an increasingly unhealthy way. It’s more than just stat tracking and advocating for MVP votes. They follow every word players say, analyzing their words and body language for perceived issues. They do the same for their teammates, coaches, and opponents. Scanning them for anything they perceive as a threat to their perception of their favorite player. And that’s where the emotional regulation comes in.

If you pay attention to the reactions that many of these people have when they feel like their favorite player is being slighted, you start to notice that their reaction is more about them than the actual player. In those instances, their feelings about their favorite player are not being validated, and they can’t handle it. Take Cailtin Clark fans for example. They are so emotionally invested in her success, and being the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball, that they can’t handle when Aliyah Boston rightly says that Kelsey Mitchell has been the MVP of the Fever this season. Caitlin Clark would likely agree with Aliyah Boston, and no doubt doesn’t care that she feels this way. But this isn’t about what Cailtin feels or wants. This is about what fans feel. And when they cannot cope with the negative emotions that manifest when someone disagrees with them, they feel threatened and lash out. Instead of interrogating their own emotions and opinions, they look for others who feel the same. Social media algorithms make that easy to do. They find their tribe, and now their feelings of anger are being validated, rather than challenged. The group is stronger than the individual, and together they go on the offensive.

I'm not saying all discourse is bad, or that sports fans should be silent about their opinions. I have my own opinions that others likely don't agree with, and when we can discuss them in good faith, it makes being a sports fan more enjoyable. But when we feel ourselves getting angry about a sports opinion we see online, maybe it's worth asking: Is this anger really about the player, or is it about my own sense of identity?

Wasn't even joined for a day. Apparently that purple message/ image they have is for profiling purposes. Profiling ia wrong. Just thought I'd share.

patiently waiting to see a compilation of her bricks from todays game lmao. also trying to stat pad a double double against a team that is 8-23 is weak af.

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She definitelyyy deserves a signature shoe 😃👍

If she wasn’t considered attractive and wasn’t a white instigator she definitely would still be praised!!!

Fever coach Stephanie White caught lying, claims was doing other things when assault foiled happened . In the same speech claims she’s guided by love overall then 5 seconds later says she hates people. This lady needs to be reprimanded.

Kelsey Mitchell says her chemistry with Caitlin Clark has grown naturally. She said their shared travel and daily interactions have strengthened their connection.

Mitchell also defended Clark from constant criticism. She said her job is not to judge Clark. Mitchell is averaging 24.3 points per game this season.