As trading tied to sports outcomes expands, WNBA players are facing growing online abuse and security concerns. Nneka Ogwumike said hostile comments about players' on-court performance are putting added pressure on athletes, and that some incidents may affect how they perform. The issue is drawing closer scrutiny of the risks created by prediction-market growth and participant behavior.
Ogwumike Says Players Face Abuse Over Performance
Ogwumike discussed the issue at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit in Santa Barbara, California. A former Los Angeles Sparks player, she was the WNBA's 2016 Most Valuable Player and has been selected to 11 All-Star teams. She said prediction markets are "not a safe place" for players, who are dealing with hostility and abuse linked to their performances.
The players' union and the WNBA have resources available to address such problems, Ogwumike said, but those measures do not mean harassment will stop. Some security concerns are not visible publicly, she added, and the treatment players receive may already be affecting—or could affect—their performance. She did not identify specific incidents or platforms.
Kalshi and Polymarket Reach $22.2 Billion in Weekly Volume
Platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket are increasingly being used to trade on sports events, bringing their activity closer to online sports betting in practice. The platforms describe themselves as financial exchanges rather than betting operators, a distinction that leaves them subject to different rules and restrictions from traditional gambling businesses.
Fueled by NFL and NCAA events, combined weekly trading volume on Kalshi and Polymarket reached a record $22.2 billion last week. The figure underscores the importance of sports as a trading category for prediction markets and intensifies questions around wagering, market oversight and the pressure placed on athletes. Trading volume does not show how many users harassed players, but financial stakes tied to game outcomes can heighten emotional reactions to individual performances.
NCAA Survey Finds Threats From Bettors
The 2025 NCAA Student-Athlete Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning survey found that more than half of Division I men's basketball players said they had received social-media abuse over their on-court performance. In addition, 46% said the largest share of negative or threatening messages they received came from people who had bet on games in which they played.
The survey covered college men's basketball players, not WNBA athletes. Its findings nevertheless show that betting-related harassment is not merely a hypothetical concern. For college and professional athletes, attacks focused on individual performance can extend into online threats, leaving teams, leagues and platforms to address both player support and the handling of abusive conduct.
NBA and WNBA Launch Responsible-Betting Campaign
The NBA and WNBA announced Tuesday that they were working with the National Council on Problem Gambling to launch a responsible-betting campaign aimed at informing fans about the risks of sports wagering. Ogwumike said further steps are needed to reduce harassment of players connected to sports betting.
Public information has not specified how the campaign will address abuse directed at athletes or disclosed the number of related incidents. Ogwumike's comments focused on player safety, league support resources and the possibility that outside pressure could affect performance. As sports trading on prediction markets grows, those issues remain a test for both platforms and sports organizations.