WNBA players were next door to Istanbul nighclub during terror attack
ISTANBUL - A handful of WNBA players, including Essence Carson, Chelsea Gray and Jantel Lavender of the Los Angeles Sparks, were next door to the deadly shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul.
It marks at least the second time WNBA players have been dangerously close to a terror attack this year in Turkey.
In a statement, the WNBA said: “The attack at Reina in Istanbul was tragic and we send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the victims and their families. The WNBA was in contact with our players in the region after the incident; we are thankful each one of them is safe and accounted for.”
Sparks coach Brian Agler confirmed to The Associated Press that Carson had texted him that the three players were OK.
An assailant believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus hat opened fire at a nightclub during New Year’s celebrations, killing at least 39 people and wounding close to 70 others in what the province’s governor described as a terror attack.
Carson had tweeted earlier in the evening that she was “stuck inside of the club because of ‘terror’ shooting in Istanbul. Praises to the most high.” She later deleted the tweet and posted a status update indicating the group had survived unharmed.
About two dozen WNBA players are in Turkey during their offseason playing in a league there, a move many make to supplement their relatively meager earnings in America. Turkey is one of the most popular destinations for American players looking to make some more money for their basketball skills, along with Russia, China and Greece.
Indiana Fever star Marissa Coleman is in her third offseason playing in Turkey. Last January, she left the area near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul moments before a suicide bombing that killed several tourists occurred there.
“A guy walked by yelling bomb! Bomb!” Coleman recalled. “We thought he was toying with us, so we left, and then my phone started buzzing. First thing I saw was a CNN update that there was a bomb outside the Blue Mosque.”
Coleman said she’s become more worried about her safety with more time in Turkey.
“I’ve seen the progression of how things are escalating. We stick out like sore thumbs. You can’t avoid certain things, and it does make you nervous,” Coleman said. “I’m very hyper aware, vigilant of my surroundings. You never know.”
The WNBA just announced last week that it had partnered with LiveSafe, a safety communications platform, to provide a mobile security app to its 60-plus players competing overseas during the offseason. The app debuted this week and players are already signing up.
“This was a proactive effort to protect our players and secure their personal safety,” WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
The app will allow the players to communicate directly with the league and its security team. It also can send security advisories and notifications to players when they’re overseas, similar to what one might get from the state department.
It is unclear whether the LiveSafe app was used during the attack.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the Istanbul nightclub assault.
