WNBA Details Security Response Amid Player Stalking Cases

The WNBA has outlined how it handles threats against players as a series of documented stalking cases brings renewed attention to safety across women’s basketball. The Guardian reports that the league operates a three-step response process and requires every reported incident to be investigated.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark dealt with a stalking case spanning late 2024 and early 2025. According to the Guardian, Michael Lewis sent Clark hundreds of messages, including threatening and sexually explicit communications, between December 12, 2024 and January 11, 2025. He was arrested at an Indianapolis hotel and sentenced in July to two and a half years in prison. Clark said the experience made her fear for her safety and change her appearance in public.

Clark is not the only prominent player affected. A 48-year-old man was arrested in June for stalking her Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham, the Guardian reported. The outlet also cited a 2024 guilty plea in a stalking case involving Paige Bueckers, who was then at UConn, along with experiences described by former Fever guard Syd Colson and Toronto Tempo player Kiki Rice. Rice received dozens of messages while she was a UCLA student from a man who believed they shared a special connection.

A league source told the Guardian that player safety is treated as a priority at games, hotels and airports, as well as online. Once a threat is reported, the WNBA’s Global Security Operations Center, which operates around the clock, first assesses its validity and begins an investigation. The league then decides whether extra security is needed to reduce the danger.

The final stage can include banning or restricting an individual from arenas and games, or referring the matter to local authorities. The Guardian also reports that the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement establishes minimum safety requirements that each team must maintain.

Dr. Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo, told the Guardian that one-sided bonds between fans and public figures are common and not inherently harmful. She said problems arise when people stop recognizing the athlete as a real person and begin acting in ways they would not in an ordinary relationship. Against the backdrop of the league’s growing visibility, the reported cases show why respectful fan engagement and formal security procedures now have to develop together.