Sports
Satou Sabally calls Lynx fans 'disgusting' after testy contest – ESPN – ESPN
Watch the Game Highlights from Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings, 08/22/2023 (2:03)
Wings forward Satou Sabally called the Lynx fan base “disgusting” Tuesday night after Dallas’ 91-86 loss at Target Center in Minneapolis, when three fans were reportedly ejected by arena officials after yelling at Sabally on court.
“Disgusting fan base in Minny,” Sabally posted on social media. “The Schadenfreude to see someone get hurt can’t be a WNBA culture. Terrible words from the sidelines all game long.”
Several fans had yelled at Sabally after she drew a technical foul with 2 minutes, 31 seconds left in the game by pushing Lynx forward Bridget Carleton after Carleton had fouled her.
Then with 25.1 seconds left, Sabally turned her ankle when she came down on Carleton’s foot. Carleton was ejected for her second flagrant foul. While Sabally was being attended to on court, she said some fans had yelled that they were glad she was hurt.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, three Lynx fans were ejected during the review of Carleton’s flagrant foul.
After making three free throws, Sabally blew a kiss to the crowd, which prompted more yelling from fans.
Sabally finished with a team-high 22 points, while Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 29 points.
Both Collier and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the behavior of fans yelling at Sabally was uncalled for.
“There’s no place for that. I was disappointed,” Reeve said. “I apologized. Our fans are passionate, [but] you just can’t cross the line of celebrating someone’s injury. We wouldn’t want that. We apologize that that happened to Satou.”
Said Collier: “Of course, it gets competitive and tensions are running high when we’re on the court, but we never want to see someone getting hurt. Celebrating that is super inappropriate and not something that represents us as a team or as players. I did think that fan deserved to get kicked out because I don’t want that to represent who we are as Lynx. A lot of our fans, most of our fans, aren’t like that. We don’t want that to tarnish who we are.”
The Wings (18-15) and Lynx (16-17) meet again Thursday, this time at Dallas’ College Park Center.
