WNBA Finals: Liberty star Breanna Stewart addresses threatening, homophobic email sent to her wife

MINNEAPOLIS — Breanna Stewart’s wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, reported to the police and the WNBA a threatening and homophobic email she received after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, the New York Liberty star said at practice Tuesday.

The email was sent directly to Xargay’s email account, which Stewart said was “attached” to her Instagram profile. The writer of the email reportedly hoped both would die after the Liberty forward missed a free throw to potentially win Game 1 and an open layup to tie it in the last second of overtime, as first reported by the New York Post.

“It is terrifying,” Stewart told reporters at practice. “And to know that people can have such direct access. And I know people will be like, you connected it with your Instagram, but there’s another level of invasion happening there.”

Stewart, who called the specific comments “over the top,” said she wanted to use her platform to “make sure everyone knows that it’s unacceptable to bring [those comments] to our sport and really into this entire world.” Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas spoke out about racist, homophobic and threatening rhetoric in the first round of the playoffs last month. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said ahead of Game 1 the league is meeting with the players union, players and teams in the offseason to combat the increase in hateful rhetoric.

“We’re taking the proper precautions,” Stewart said. “I think that threats continued to build after Game 1, which 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. So we’re just continuing to let the league know [and] they’re handling it.”

The WNBA’s growth took off this season, prompting further concerns about player safety. At the beginning of the season, the league instituted charter flights for every game to keep players off commercial airlines. Brittney Griner was harassed by someone at an airport last season. Teams also hired extra security to travel with player and to be at arenas.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon said in May one of the first things she wanted when she took the role in December 2022 was increased security details for her well-known players, which include MVP A’ja Wilson and Olympians Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.

“When these ladies go to dinner, I want somebody there with them,” Hammon, a former player, said. “I want them being walked to the restaurant. I want them coming back.”

Stewart noted that certain players “under the microscope” in the NBA and other leagues have bodyguards “for the safety and security sense,” she said. She said she believes there should be a preseason protocol for what players and their families should do when a direct threat like this happens, especially in a moment such as the Finals when millions of eyes are on them.

“Cathy [Engelbert] and the league can just continue to make sure that they’re ahead of this,” Stewart said. “And really, everything that’s happened since Thursday, everyone has really kind of walked hand-in-hand, step-in-step with what to do going forward.”

Stewart said Xargay dealt with the issue after Game 1, and Stewart learned more about the situation after Game 2. The family is making sure everyone knows internally with the organization where Stewart, Xargay and their two young children will be to prioritize their safety and to not put themselves in potential danger.

“I don’t look at all my messages if I was to look at social media, but the fact that it came directly to Marta’s email is something that she couldn’t not see,” Stewart said.” “So the level of closeness was a little bit different. And I think we just want to make sure, obviously myself and Marta are OK, but that our kids are the ones that are the safest.”