SPOKANE, Washington – Usually the most upsetting part of exiting the NCAA tournament is losing before you want to. That wasn’t the case for Utah women’s basketball.
Head coach Lynne Roberts revealed during her post-match press conference after the Utes lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA tournament that his team experienced racism early in their trip, forcing them to move hotels.
RELATED: Utah Athletics releases more information on WBB racial incidents in Coeur d’Alene
“Our team hotel was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which isn’t very close,” Roberts said. “It lasts 35 to 40 minutes, so it was a little strange, but whatever. We have had several instances of racial hate crimes against our program and it has been incredibly upsetting for all of us.
Yeah. https://t.co/TBd2AapEBT
– Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) March 26, 2024
Lynne Roberts on Utah facing racism: In sports and academic circles, it’s shocking
Roberts detailed what his team experienced, calling the incidents “shocking” in an athletic and academic setting.
“There’s so much diversity on a college campus and so you’re not exposed to it very often,” Roberts said. “When it does, people say, ‘Man, I can’t believe that happened,’ but racism is real and it happens. It’s horrible.”
The incidents, which took place Thursday evening when the team first arrived for the NCAA tournament, occurred “multiple times” before the team moved out of its hotels on Friday, March 22, according to Roberts .
Utah head coach Lynne Roberts on racist remarks made toward her team in Coeur d’Alene:
“For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment is a waste.” pic.twitter.com/dBqJtjhkwh– Andrew Quinn (@andrewquinny) March 26, 2024
Roberts stressed that the incidents were so shocking that no one knew what to do.
“For our players, whether they were white, black, green, whatever, no one knew how to handle that,” Roberts continued. “It was really upsetting for our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment. It’s messed up. We moved hotels.
The NCAA and Gonzaga were on hand to help the Utes out of a bad and very uncomfortable situation according to Roberts. However, it is questionable whether they should have been there in the first place.
Despite quick efforts to resolve the issue after it occurred, it did nothing to change what was an unfortunate distraction for a team trying to enjoy the playoffs.
“The NCAA and Gonzaga worked to get us a new hotel and we appreciate it,” Roberts said. “That’s what happened, it was a distraction, upsetting and unfortunate. This should be positive for everyone involved. This should be a joyous time for our program – having some sort of black eye on the experience is unfortunate.
It is a disappointing revelation from a team that celebrated its differences For the last two seasons.
Gonzaga released statement on racism incident
The Gonzaga Athletics X account posted a statement about the incidents Utah women’s basketball faced shortly after Roberts’ press conference.
– Gonzaga Athletics (@GonzagaBulldogs) March 26, 2024
Gonzaga University was made aware of racist comments directed at student-athletes and members of the traveling party in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, prior to the first and second round NCAA women’s basketball tournament games this last days. Hate speech, in any form, is disgusting, shameful and must never be tolerated. We have worked hard to secure the opportunity to serve as the host institution, and our first priority is and must be the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, coaches, families and support staff. To this end, we have worked closely with the NCAA and program participants to ensure the safety of everyone involved. We are frustrated and deeply saddened to know that what should always be an incredible experience for visitors and the Championship has been compromised in any way by this situation, as it in no way reflects the values, standards and standards beliefs for which we at Gonzaga University hold ourselves accountable. .
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and the host of the Crimson Corner podcast (SUBSCRIBE) And Saturday show (Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, InstagramAnd Topics: @BodkinKSLsports
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