The Utah women’s basketball team changed hotels out of safety concerns before its first NCAA Tournament game after reporting that racist slurs were shouted at the team, according to Utes coach Lynne Roberts and a police report filed in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Utah played Saturday and Monday in Spokane, Wash., where Gonzaga hosted first- and second-round games. The team arrived at its hotel in Coeur d’Alene, about 30 miles east of Spokane, on Thursday. The alleged incidents occurred while the team was walking to and from dinner that night in Coeur d’Alene.
While the team, band and cheerleaders walked to a restaurant for dinner, a truck revved its engine and a person yelled the N-word toward the team, according to a statement from Roberts, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan and Deputy A.D. Charmelle Green. After dinner, around 6 p.m. local time, two pickup trucks revved their engines and sped by members of the team, according to the police report. The trucks then turned around and individuals inside yelled the N-word toward the team, according to a report from KSL.com, a Salt Lake City TV station.
Utah worked with the NCAA and Gonzaga to move to a hotel in Spokane on Friday, Roberts said Monday.
“For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA Tournament environment,…
