James Wade, head coach of the Chicago Sky WNBA team, has lodged a formal complaint with the league office over an incident during a recent game where a white official referred to him as “boy,” a term with racial connotations aimed at Black men.
Wade addressed the issue during a post-game interview, expressing his dismay over the use of such a derogatory term.
“I don’t speak on that. Just watch the game. If you saw the game, then you’ll see it,” Wade said. “I’m gonna tell you what. I’m a grown man and I like being — I have a family and I have a responsibility. I have a team, I have a responsibility and so when someone tells one of my players to, hey, ‘Explain to your boy,’ I take that personal.
“But that’s what I been dealing with. That’s how people see me. Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m fine.”
Wade, who also serves as the team’s general manager, has been coaching the Sky for three years. He received the Coach of the Year award in 2019 and recently inked a contract extension.
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Apart from the racial slur incident, Wade criticized the game’s officiating, particularly highlighting what he perceived as biased treatment towards the Atlanta Dream players.
“Everybody, just watch the game. It’s ridiculous. I don’t know how good of a coach I can be (and) I don’t know how effective I can be if you look at the game and see how it is,” Wade said. “I’m not going to try to victimize anything, but I take it personal. It’s personal. We don’t have any margin for error. And all you have to do is just watch the game. It’s ridiculous, it’s shameful and it’s disgraceful.
“Both teams work hard and people don’t see that and it’s not appreciated. The players work hard. Even though we haven’t practiced at 5-on-5 since the season started, the players they work hard. When they come out and try to do the right things and it gets penalized just because of what colors you have on, then I think it’s ridiculous.”
