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The women's basketball community has been rocked by the public revelation of Caitlin Clark's stalker. Other players in the sport are now speaking up about their own fears and experiences with security and privacy breaches. News of Clark's stalker came out just one month after a man pleaded guilty to stalking UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers.
Ahead of the opening week of the upstart 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled, many of the WNBA players participating spoke about the issue.
Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington, who gave Clark a black eye in their playoff series in September, told The Associated Press she has received cyberthreats and needs to be on the lookout for other threats when she goes out in public.
"It’s super unfortunate that it’s going on, but I think as the game grows, it’s going to continue to happen because some people are just crazy and aren’t in their right mind and need to be held accountable for those things," Carrington said. "But I don’t think it’s going to stop, honestly. We have to do stuff and go above and beyond and try to protect ourselves."
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New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart says she and other players have had to be conscious of how they use social media to make sure they aren't giving away their whereabouts in real time.
"We have a ton of security here, and you see them everywhere," Stewart said. "Making sure that whether we post pictures or social media, nothing is real time because that’s when it’s like they’re really able to figure out where you are."
JEMELE HILL QUIETLY DELETES CAITLIN CLARK POST FOLLOWING STALKER ARREST
Breanna Stewart and her wife, Marta Xargay, were victims during the WNBA Finals in October, receiving threatening anonymous emails after Game 1.
Clark's fever teammate, Aliyah Boston, called the conditions she and other players face "super scary."
"It’s super scary, and I feel bad for Paige, Caitlin, (Breanna) and everyone’s family because that’s not something that you ever want to experience," she said. "But I think everyone around us do a great job of trying to make sure we feel safe and making sure that they’re responding to everything. If we’re unsure of anything, they are on it. They know exactly what to do."
Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier said the league has had meetings with players recently.
"I think it’s scary. Just naturally, with us being more available to people, things like that happen," Collier said. "We did have a safety meeting the other day."
The Texas man identified as Clark's alleged stalker, Michael Lewis, entered Marion County Superior Court, leaned back in his chair and told Judge Angela Davis he was "guilty as charged," earlier this week.
Davis suggested to Lewis he exercise his right to remain silent and entered a not guilty plea on his behalf because she wasn’t going to accept anything else in an initial hearing.
Lewis was ordered held on $50,000 bail and to stay away from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the Fever and the Butler Bulldogs play, respectively. Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is an assistant with Butler’s men’s basketball team.
Lewis, 55, was charged with stalking and threatening sexual battery or death, FOX 59 reported, citing court documents. The charge is a felony, and he could face up to six years in prison if convicted.
Lewis allegedly sent Clark sexually explicit messages through his X account. One message said he had been driving around her house multiple times and encouraged her "not to call the law just yet." He also allegedly spoke of going to a Fever game and sitting behind the bench.
Authorities said they talked to Lewis about the messages Jan. 8, according to the news station. He reportedly told authorities he was going to Indianapolis for a vacation and downplayed the number of messages he sent to the WNBA sharpshooter.
"It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, via FOX 59. "In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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British-Jamaican Edwards last fought in July, losing the welterweight title in Manchester
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College football players and coaches have spoken openly and on the biggest platforms this season about their faith, and on Monday, two teams that have led that conversation will face off in the national championship.
Ohio State is the favorite heading into the title game, but for many players it's their faith, not stats and analytics, that’s the driving factor behind their confidence on the field.
In a series of interviews with Sports Spectrum this season, several Buckeyes players spoke about turning to their faith and how doing so has impacted their performance on the field.
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"I would say for the past couple years we’ve kinda been – there’s kinda been a number of players on the football team who have restored their faith in Jesus Christ. And that was something that was big for me my freshman year," star receiver Emeka Egbuka told the outlet in November.
Egbuka, a graduate student, recalled in his interview the turning point for him. He was invited to attend a mass by his fellow teammates and said it was the first time he had felt a true connection to his faith.
"Ever since then, my life has been changed. A complete 180, and I have a similar testimony to a lot of players on the team. We’ve been praying for a type of revival like this on our team, and we decided to share with everybody what God has been doing on our football team."
Egbuka said he opted against going into the NFL Draft last season because he felt a calling that was "bigger" than football.
"I felt the Lord was leading me back to Ohio State for another year. I felt the Lord asking me a question, testing my heart: ‘If you do come back for this next year, you’re going to have this massive platform, you’re going to have tons of following, you are going to have these accolades – this name to live up to, and you can do one of two things with that moment. You can either use it to glorify me or to glorify yourself,’ so I saw it as somewhat of a challenge and something that I had to do."
Star running back TreVeyon Henderson told the outlet in a separate interview that despite his standout rookie season, which included success and NIL deals, he had turned to his faith following an injury.
"He saved my life from going down that road of destruction. He saved me. He put me on this path of everlasting life . . . you see so many people go down that large path of destruction, but I’m so thankful that Jesus, He rescued me from that path and put me on His path."
And just last month, tight end Gee Scott Jr. said that this season has been highlighted by massive change spiritually.
"I would just say there’s been a mass herd of people who are making the public declaration to yield their life to Christ, which I commend so much, because, especially at this age and in 2024, the world that we live in right now, there’s so many things that you could allude or surrender your life to, there’s so many things that you can give your life to."
Just this week, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard praised both teams for speaking so openly about their faith, and he believes that it's a big reason as to why they are the two teams battling it out for college football’s biggest prize.
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