With all the energy infused into the WNBA Finals right now, some hate has also weaseled its way in.
The Minnesota Lynx are facing the New York Liberty, and someone took their trash-talking beyond the court with some disturbing remarks aimed at Breanna Stewart.
The two-time NBA champ’s wife and former WNBA player Marta Xargay Casademont received a homophobic email. They later visited a local Brooklyn, New York precinct to report the scary message.
Police sources reveal that, among other things, the hateful email read, “I hope someone shoots your wife dead, f-ck you d-kes [sic], I hope you both die.”
Stewart and her wife also reported the email to the Liberty staff, who uncovered that this isn’t the first time the account has sent disturbing emails, with past evidence showing it has sent other death threats as well as racist comments and bomb threats.
Despite the hateful remarks, Stewart confirms that she loves the new hype around the WNBA. This could be because she missed a shot at the end of regulation in Game 1 to win the game and again in overtime. Still, that’s not a reason to attack her family, which makes the remarks even more personal and hit closer to home than a typical heckler.
2-time MVP Breanna Stewart addresses the threatening, homophobic email sent to her wife, Marta, for the first time in an exclusive interview with NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/LRSG038FcK
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) October 15, 2024
“We’re taking the proper precautions. I think the threats continue to build after Game 1,” Stewart said. “We love that people are engaged in our sport, but not to the point where there’s threats or harassment or homophobic comments being made. Being in the Finals and everything like that, it makes sense to file something formal.”
Casademont previously played for the Phoenix Mercury before racking up some more champion hardware as a Spanish League champion and even winning a Silver medal with her native Spain at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She later married Stewart in 2020, and upon retiring in 2021, she turned her focus to her family, as the two share a son and a daughter.
Angel Reese has also spoken about the hate she’s been receiving online thanks to her friendly rival Caitlin Clark, leading to racist attacks and even being followed home.
See how social media is reacting to the homophobic slurs hurled at Stewart’s wife as the Liberty continues to battle it out against the Lynx in the Finals.
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