Caitlin Clark spent 25 minutes on the floor against the Aces, where she set yet another ‘fastest ever’ in the WNBA. The spotlight of her 600th career assist in just her 72nd game, though, may not remain in the spotlight after the abuse that came Chelsea Gray’s way. The Aces player was involved in a play where Clark fell to the ground in pain after attempting to make a block. 

The Fever guard received a foul after the referees reviewed the play, but that activated a fanbase that targeted a player involved in an incident with Clark for the second time in three games. Gray shared a screenshot of a direct message she received on her Instagram Story on Monday, revealing the racial abuse she faced from a disgruntled fan.

“This was a message I received after our game vs. Indy yesterday. People act like we just make this s— up. And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.'” Gray wrote in the caption.

The incident that made Gray the target occurred at about 4:26 remaining in the second quarter. The Aces, trailing by 10, were attempting to cut the gap before the break. Gray had the ball with Clark guarding her and trying to get through. At two separate instances in a span of under four seconds, Gray’s shoulder struck Clark in the midsection. 

Gray then leaped, with Clark attempting to block. While Gray fell backward after shooting, Clark fell forward to the floor and turned over onto her back, showing clear signs of pain. While she got back to her feet, the referees reviewed the play and called for a personal foul. 

The Fever star immediately protested, saying, “It’s not a foul,” while stepping off the court.

Gray converted both free throws and did not contribute to the scoring for the remainder of her team’s 109-75 defeat. 

This seems similar to the Alyssa Thomas incident, in which Clark was the victim of physical contact. The difference here is that the officials may have viewed it as natural for a basketball game. They, however, called a common defensive foul on Clark.

It also differs in a way, as the Thomas incident saw no foul called during the game. Instead, Thomas had received a ban in a belated review that saw her fist-to-throat contact upgraded to a flagrant foul 2. 

Although Thomas served the mandatory one-game suspension as a result, the online backlash turned into personal threats. Her call for accountability and protection from the league started a chain of events that forced league commissioner Cathy Engelbert to put out a public statement and even a letter from Congress.

Now, Chelsea Gray is adding her experience after Sunday’s game, which is yet another chapter in the WNBA’s struggle to protect its players.

US Congress members urge the WNBA to protect its players

On July 8, a group of 11 Republican lawmakers, led by Texas Rep. August Pfluger, sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, urging the league to take stronger action over what they described as repeated targeting of Clark and the league’s failure to protect not just Clark but all of its players.

“Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games,” Pfluger wrote in the letter. “These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”

The letter was signed by lawmakers from Texas, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Missouri, and South Carolina.

“As commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation.”

Now Gray is facing similar circumstances online after a controversial call. It shows that the WNBA is still struggling to contain online toxicity, despite launching the ‘No Space for Hate’ campaign in May 2025 to combat this exact scenario.