The Utah women’s basketball team experienced “racially motivated hate crimes” during the NCAA Tournament

The Utah women’s basketball team was forced to vary hotels during the NCAA Tournament persistent “racial hate crimes.”” before the first round match.

It was imagined to be a night filled with celebration. Last week, the team went out to dinner near their hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, about 35 minutes from Spokane, Washingtonwhere the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament took place.

However, the tone of the evening quickly modified when the band and cheerleaders accompanied them to a restaurant together. According to a neighborhood news outlet in Utah KSL“a white truck pulled up to the team, revved its engines to make its presence known, then shouted the N-word at the team before driving away.”

Charmelle Green, who’s black, is deputy sports director for Utah. Green said, “We were all in shock and looked at each other like, did we just hear that?… Everyone was in shock – our cheerleaders and the students who were in the area who clearly heard it just froze.”

“We kept walking, just shaking our heads like I couldn’t believe it,” he said Green.

The team they continued their evening and ate dinner, but unfortunately had the same experience after they tried to go away. But, “[t]nonetheless, during his time, two trucks were present, revving their engines and making plenty of noise in an intimidating manner while shouting the N-word again at those present.

Green she says, “I got emotional and started crying,” and told what happened to Mark Harlan, the university’s athletic director.

At this point, the team’s safety was in query, especially given northern Idaho’s history with hate groups. From 2021 Southern Poverty Law Center listed “six hate groups in Idaho…[and] hate crimes are increasing. In 2020, fifty-four hate crimes were reported to police in Idaho – 19 targeting racial groups, the majority of which targeted African Americans and Latino and Latino communities.”

Following this, “the NCAA and Gonzaga offered Utah… a chance to relocate.” CNN reports. Additionally, the team was supplied with police escort.

The NCAA released an announcement: “The NCAA condemns racism and hatred in any form and is committed to providing student-athletes with world-class athletic and academic experiences that promote lifelong well-being.”

“NCAA Championship events represent the pinnacle of a student-athlete’s academic profession. “We are devastated by the Utah team’s experience as they travel to compete in a weekend that should be competing on the brightest stage and creating some of the fondest memories of their lives,” the statement continued.

Less than two days after the incident, the tournament began. The Utah Utes defeated South Dakota State on Saturday of their first-round game. However, Utah ultimately lost in the second round on Monday Gonzaga77-66.

“We have had several incidents of some type of racial hate crimes against our program and (it has been) extremely disheartening for all of us.” Coach Lynne Roberts stated during the press conference after Monday’s game.

“There’s so much diversity on a college campus that you don’t really come into contact with it very often,” he continued Roberts. “Racism is a fact. It happens. It’s terrible. So for our players, whether they were white, black, green or whatever, no one knew how to deal with it. It was really annoying.”

“In our world, in sports and in universities, this is shocking.” Roberts added.