Sky reflects on ‘distracting’ hotel incident after victory over Mystics

Sky reflects on ‘distracting’ hotel incident after win over Mystics, originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

On Wednesday, a man harassed Chicago Sky players as they exited their team bus upon arrival at their hotel in Washington, DC to prepare for Thursday’s win over the Mystics.

“We handled things very well,” Teresa Weatherspoon said after the 79-71 win. “Our security was there to take care of our young ladies like they took care of us. We weren’t focused on that. We were focused on what we’re supposed to do here, what we’re supposed to do. And that’s what it was about. We’re looking forward to everything getting better as we continue to move forward in this game.”

According to the Sun-Times, the man was targeting defensive lineman Chennedy Carter, who recently made headlines for shoving Caitlin Clark during a Sky Fever game. There is no certainty that this was the reason the man was harassing Carter and the team. The report also says it is unclear how the man knew about the Skys’ hotel.

Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times the situation was de-escalated when team security escorted the man away from the team. Police were not called to the hotel after the incident, the report said.

Several players reacted to the incident, sharing their disgust on social media. And before the game, players spoke about how the incident has affected them since then.

“It’s been a lot going on and I think it’s been a distraction since the game, honestly,” Isabelle Harrison said before the game. “Yeah, I just have a lot to say about it, but we’re trying to manage a lot of things internally right now. Obviously, we’re increasing security so everyone feels safe. … The most important thing is everyone’s safety and yesterday was a lot for us. We’re just depending on security and the front office for reassurance right now.

“There hasn’t been a lot of conversation,” Lindsay Allen said. “It’s been more of an increased security presence in terms of what our security people are doing for us and how active they are on game days, pregame and postgame. Everything’s just ramped up in the last week. We’re just making sure we’re safe and comfortable with everything we’re doing.”