The NCAA tournament wasn’t all fun and games for the Utah Utes women’s basketball team … ’cause several players were allegedly called the N-word and other “racial hate crimes” while at the team hotel.
Utes head coach Lynne Roberts revealed the cruel acts following their 2nd round loss to 4-seeded Gonzaga on Monday, claiming they had to relocate the entire team from their hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho over the incredibly offensive treatment.
“We had several instances of some kind of racial hate crimes towards our program,” Roberts said during the post-game press conference. “Incredibly upsetting for all of us.”
“You know, you think in our world, in athletics and university settings, it’s shocking in a … like there is so much diversity on a college campus and so you’re just not exposed to that very often.”
Charmelle Green, Utes Deputy Athletic Director, also told KSLthat strangers allegedly yelled the N-word towards them while the players, band, and cheerleading team were walking to a restaurant for dinner, as well as when they left.
“We all just were in shock, and we looked at each other like, did we just hear that? Everybody was in shock. Our cheerleaders, our students that were in that area that heard it clearly were just frozen,” Green said.
“We kept walking, just shaking our heads, like I can’t believe that.”
Thankfully the NCAA and Gonzaga were able to move the team to a hotel in Spokane … and the Bulls athletic department released a statement saying they were “frustrated and deeply saddened” by the intolerable events.
The University of Utah has filed a police report.
