March Madness was supposed to be an opportunity for the Utah Utes to chase the chance of becoming the best collegiate women’s basketball team in the country. While the team’s dreams of making a deep run were cut short, they have a chance to do it all over again next year.
However, this year’s team became victims of a hate crime that affected the overall experience of their game. The team spoke out against it, and the governor of Idaho also condemned the individuals who made the experience for the Utes a terrible one.
Idaho governor disavows racist activities that forced Utah Utes out of their hotel
The Utes were forced to move to a hotel after they experienced harassment and got thrown racial slurs during a team dinner in Coeur d’Alene. Idaho Governor Brad Little thanked the community in helping unnerve the situation, but he also called out the individuals that made the lives of the players a horrible experience.
Little called for everyone to do better, per The Spun’s Daniel Bates:
Idaho leaders and community members at all levels have been consistent and clear about our values – we fully reject racism in all its forms. There is no place for racism, hate, or bigotry in the great State of Idaho. We condemn bullies who seek to harass and silence others. I will continue the tradition of past governors in supporting our local leaders in their efforts to eradicate hate and bigotry from our communities.
Whenever disgusting incidents like these have occurred in our state, I have seen Idahoans come through every single time to stand up for our shared values – to show respect, love, and compassion for others. Idahoans are good people, and we must not allow the hateful, unacceptable actions of a few tarnish our state.
Utah head coach Lynne Roberts also spoke against the incident she and her players experience:
Racism is real and it happens and it’s awful,” she explained. “So for our players, whether they are white, black, green, whatever, no one knew how to handle it and it was really upsetting. For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it’s messed up.”
It’s unfortunate that racism is still an issue the Utah Utes still had to deal with, and this incident will have a profound impact on the players and coaching staff of the team that lost to Gonzaga, 66-77.
It’s hard to see how this incident will affect them moving forward, but one can expect the NCAA to enact rules that will help prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
For More Content
Message me at [email protected] for questions and opportunities.
