Utah women’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts said her team was the victim of a series of “racial hate crimes” and was forced to change hotels due to security concerns during the game. NCAA Tournament.
Utah played its games in Spokane, but was staying about 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho due to a lack of hotel space in the host city.
Roberts did not elaborate but said several incidents occurred last Thursday night after the team arrived in the Coeur d’Alene area for the tournament. However, Utah’s assistant athletic director, Charmelle Green, who is black, spoke to Utah broadcaster KSL on Tuesday and gave more details.
Quick Guide
How do I sign up to receive sports news alerts?
To show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play Store on Android by searching for “The Guardian”.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re using the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button in the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Enable sports notifications.
Green said the school’s squad, cheerleaders and band members were on their way to dinner when a truck pulled up to the group, revved its engines and then someone in the vehicle yelled the word “nigger.”
“We were all in shock, and we looked at each other like did we hear that? … Everybody was in shock — our cheerleaders, our students who were in that area and clearly heard it were frozen,” Green told KSL.com. “We kept walking, shaking our heads, like I couldn’t believe it … I was numb the whole night.”
When the group returned from dinner, something similar happened, this time with two trucks revving their engines. The word “nigger” was again addressed to the group.
“I’ll never forget the noise I heard, the intimidating noise that came from that engine, and the word in Negro,” Green said. “I go to bed and I hear it every night since I’ve been here… I couldn’t imagine that we would have to stay there and relive those moments.”
Far-right extremists are present in the region. As of 2018, at least nine hate groups were operating in the Spokane area and northern Idaho, including Identity Evropa, Proud Boys, ACT for America and America’s Promise Ministries, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Utah, South Dakota State and UC Irvine were all staying in Idaho hotels, even though Gonzaga was the host school, due to a lack of space in Spokane. Roberts said the NCAA and Gonzaga worked to relocate the team after the incident.
“Racism is real and it exists, and it’s horrible. So for our players … nobody knew how to handle it and it was really upsetting,” Roberts said. “For our players and our staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it’s a disaster … It should be a positive for everyone involved. It should be a joyous moment for our program and to have kind of a black eye on that experience is unfortunate,” Roberts said.
after newsletter promotion
Gonzaga released a statement saying the first priority is the safety and well-being of all event participants.
“We are frustrated and deeply saddened 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 beliefs to which we at Gonzaga University hold ourselves accountable,” the statement said.
Utah lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday night, ending its season. Roberts said the incidents affected her team’s performance. “It was a distraction, an annoyance and an unfortunate thing,” she said.
Utah filed a police report, but there has been no update yet.
