On June 24, Alyssa Thomas made contact with Caitlin Clark’s throat, but the refs failed to call the foul. While they upgraded it to a flagrant foul 2 and handed Thomas a one-game suspension after a review, by then Thomas had started receiving backlash and even threats on social media. Then, barely two weeks later, Las Vegas Aces veteran Chelsea Gray faced similar harassment in her Instagram DMs. Yet in both cases, the league’s delayed response and inability to curb such behavior prompted the Players’ Association to take notice.

So on July 22, WNBA and WNBPA officials met to discuss how to jointly tackle the problem the league has struggled to contain by itself.

“The conversation underscored the importance of addressing issues early through proactive communication and strengthening the league-union relationship. The league committed to continuing to enhance security resources and will work with the players’ union to explore collaborations with organizations that share the values of our league and advance our shared priorities,” read the official joint statement.

“Yesterday’s discussion marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue, and we are united in our commitment to building on this work together.”

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the head of security for the NBA and the WNBA, Leon Newsome, met with Nneka Ogwumike, Napheesa Collier, Brianna Turner, Alysha Clark, Breanna Stewart, and Elizabeth Williams. Additionally, Aliyah Edwards and DeWanna Bonner were present for the JEDI Committee, and WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson also attended the virtual meeting.

The official confirmation came after weeks of silence from commissioner Cathy Engelbert herself. In fact, the first official WNBA statement condemning what Alyssa Thomas faced came after she called out Engelbert days after facing the online harassment.

Engelbert then canceled a scheduled appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, where the veteran reporter revealed she would’ve had the chance to give some answers.

However, following the joint statement, The Athletic’s Annie Costabile revealed that during the meeting Engelbert acknowledged what “many have referred to as her having a poor communication style specifically when it comes to communicating with players.”

Meanwhile, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike shared some insights on what else was discussed in the meeting.

Nneka Ogwumike outlines a united approach to protecting WNBA players

While the meeting marked an important first step, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike made it clear that the responsibility of player safety and the league’s growing challenges cannot rest only on the players. She added that one of her hopes was that league leadership could collaborate with players to find joint solutions.

“My sentiment now is just that we’re getting the perspective of as many players as we can. And also understand that a lot of the issues that we deal with are kind of pressed on the players to solve, that were problems that they didn’t start on their own,” Ogwumike said.

Ogwumike also made it clear that the WNBA has always been against racism, sexism, homophobia, and hateful discrimination, but also acknowledged that the league is facing multiple challenges at once. Instead of viewing online harassment as a single issue, she believes it requires cooperation at every level of the sport.

“I also do believe that it’s not just on us, it’s not just on the league,” she added. “It’s also on media, it’s also on the fans. I think we have to come together and figure out the parts that we’re playing in this to ensure that this league is what it’s meant to be. Notwithstanding the naturalness of a pro sports league.”

Whether the initiatives the WNBA and WNBPA are planning prove effective remains to be seen, but the two sides have made clear that protecting players remains their priority.