Utah women’s basketball coach, Lynne Roberts, said her team experienced a series of ‘racial hate crimes’ and were forced to change hotels due to safety concerns during the NCAA Tournament.
Utah, South Dakota State and UC Irvine were all staying at hotels in Idaho because of the lack of hotel space in Spokane. Far-right extremists have become a presence in the region. Roberts said the NCAA and the host school, Gonzaga, worked to move the team after the incident. She added: ‘For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA Tournament environment, it’s messed up … this should be a positive for everybody involved.’
