WNBA's Chicago Sky Announces First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership with Moonshot to Protect Players from Online Threats and Abuse
WNBA Chicago Sky

WNBA's Chicago Sky Announces First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership with Moonshot to Protect Players from Online Threats and Abuse

Published on July 1, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release


CHICAGO - Today, the WNBA's Chicago Sky announced an innovative partnership with Moonshot, a global leader in countering online threats, to leverage national security technology to keep the team's full roster safe. As the first team in the league to deploy this type of technology, the Chicago Sky is setting the standard for how sports organizations can proactively address online hate, harassment, and abuse targeting athletes.

Moonshot's goal is not just to understand the problem, but to solve it. Moonshot's dedicated team of online security experts will use advanced technology to identify and remove concerning content, assess credible risks, take actions to mitigate harm, and help the Sky interpret the underlying drivers of online abuse.

"Hate and harassment have no place in sports," said Nadia Rawlinson, Co-owner and Operating Chairman of the Chicago Sky. "Our partnership with Moonshot is about proactively tackling online hate, harassment, and abuse across social media and on the dark web, so our players and coaches can focus on the game of basketball and delighting our fans around the world."

Chicago Sky players are leaders and role models on and off the court, a position which also places them at increased risk. The Sky's decisive action to implement this solution reflects the organization's long-standing commitment to player health and safety, including mental health and well-being.

"The data is abundantly clear. Female athletes, especially women of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, face disproportionate amounts of online harassment, abuse, and threats of violence," continued Rawlinson. "Unfortunately, these incidents are increasing commensurately with the growth in women's sports, sports betting, and use of artificial intelligence."

The Chicago Sky-Moonshot partnership comes at a critical time when online threats against athletes and public figures across all industries are rising. For example, according to Moonshot's findings, 92% of women in public life experience abuse online and 31% of this harassment is sexual in nature.

"We are honored to support the Chicago Sky in this strategic and pioneering effort to protect their players and coaches. Our work is grounded in a decade of national security experience understanding the origins of online abuse and what to do about it," said Vidhya Ramalingam, CEO of Moonshot. "We are grateful for the opportunity to leverage our technology and expertise to advance player safety at a time when interest in women's sports is at an all-time high. We hope this unique, first-of-its-kind partnership will serve as a model for other sports teams and leagues."

Check out the Chicago Sky Statistics

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