• WNBA star Napheesa Collier slammed the league’s toxic fan culture, calling out the surge in hateful comments targeting players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and others. Collier urged fans to remember that basketball is meant to unite, not divide, amid her own MVP-level season with the Minnesota Lynx.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (TDR) — Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is having a career-best season—but off the court, she’s increasingly alarmed by the toxic wave of criticism washing over the WNBA. In a candid appearance on the A Touch More podcast, hosted by Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, Collier took aim at the growing hatred directed toward players, stressing that the problem extends well beyond the league’s biggest names.

“It is getting so toxic,” Collier said. “Basketball and sports are supposed to be so unifying, and it is so toxic… like every game, it is hatred out there toward other players—and not just Angel and Caitlin.”

Her comments come just days after reports surfaced that Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese was subjected to “racial” abuse during a game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. While the league has launched an investigation, Collier said the trend is neither isolated nor new.

“They are the OGs where people will get so polarizing with, but it’s with everyone,” she continued. “People are just so nasty on there, and it’s like, ‘We’re playing a game,’ and you are saying hateful things about players.”

Collier’s concern isn’t just about online behavior—it reflects what many players have described as a broader pattern of harassment, racism, and misogyny that intensified over the past two seasons. As WNBA visibility increases, so too does the scrutiny and vitriol aimed at its stars.

Despite the distractions, Collier has stayed locked in on the hardwood. She’s powering the Lynx to a league-best 23–5 record, fresh off a 30-point statement performance in a win over the defending champion New York Liberty. The 27-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, shooting an efficient 53.7% from the field and nearly 36% from beyond the arc.

As MVP chatter builds, Collier remains focused—but her comments show she’s just as committed to speaking out as she is to putting up numbers.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

Will the league—and its fans—rise to meet the moment, or let the toxicity drown out the game’s true spirit?

Follow The Dupree Report on YouTube

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10