Utah Women’s Team Faced Racial Harassment, Called N-Word in This State

The University of Utah’s women’s basketball team is in the spotlight this March Madness — but it’s not for anything that happened on the court.

While staying in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the team was repeatedly subjected to racial harassment. School officials said that while team was going out for dinner, a driver pulled up by them, revved their engine, and yelled the N-word. Later that night as they were leaving the restaurant, two trucks approached them and the drivers once again yelled the N-word.

The team was reportedly staying in Coeur d’Arlene, a town with a long association with hate groups, because of lack of space at the hotel near the tournament.

“Racism is real, and it happens, and it’s awful,” Coach Lynne Roberts, who is white, said during a press conference. “And for our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA Tournament environment, it’s messed up.”

Local authorities are now investigating the incident. “We condemn, in the strongest terms, those horrendous acts of hatred,” Tony Stewart, of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said at the news conference, according to NBC. “If the perpetrators can be found, we call upon them to be prosecuted. There is no place in our communities or in the United States of America for such horrific acts.”

NCAA Women’s basketball players have repeatedly been the subject of racist attacks. LSU basketball star Angel Reese has spoken out about the countless death threats and attacks she’s received since sky-rocketing to fame after winning the championship last year.

As for the University of Utah basketball team, the NCAA agreed to move them to another hotel closer to the tournament and outside of Coeur d’Alene.