Sydney Colson criticizes WNBA players and Fever fan culture

Former Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson used an October 8 podcast episode to criticize what she sees as a lack of solidarity among some white WNBA players and a failure to address discriminatory conduct around Fever games. She said players who remain silent about discrimination or make remarks she considers harmful should “shut the f up.” Colson made the comments on Unsupervised with Syd TP, speaking with former player Theresa Plaisance about player support, discrimination and the expectations placed on athletes. She argued that expressions of sisterhood carry little weight when teammates do not speak up for Black players facing racism. Her criticism was directed at players she viewed as silent or as making harmful statements, rather than all white players. The discussion included comments about transgender athletes, drawing attention to Sophie Cunningham, who has previously expressed opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. But the podcast passage described in the reporting does not establish that Colson directly addressed Cunningham. Colson’s remarks concerned what she considered harmful comments and broader responsibilities among players.