Las Vegas Aces fans avoided every top five in Action Network’s ranking of the WNBA’s most foul-mouthed, negative, positive and polite online fandoms.
Maybe recent success has taken the edge off. A’ja Wilson has piled up individual honors, while Las Vegas has raised banners and handed out championship rings.
Still, the full rankings place Aces fans in an odd emotional middle. They ranked seventh in profanity, ninth in negativity, 12th in positivity and ninth in politeness.
So, they are not among Reddit’s angriest groups. They are not exactly leading a kindness campaign, either.
Tobias Fanta of Action Network analyzed 160,523 comments from subreddits tied to all 15 WNBA fandoms. The study covered the previous 12 months and included at least 2,500 comments from each group.
Profanity appeared in 2.26 percent of comments from the Aces subreddit. Their most-used swear word was “damn,” which feels almost restrained by internet standards.
Sun fans have reasons
Connecticut ranked as the league’s most foul-mouthed fandom. Profanity appeared in 3.14 percent of comments from the Sun subreddit.
There are possible explanations. Connecticut owns one of the league’s worst records, and the franchise will relocate to Houston in 2027. Losing games while preparing to lose the team can expand anyone’s vocabulary.
However, the study did not measure why fans swore.
Chicago finished second at 2.96 percent. The Sky also sit near the bottom after trading fan favorite Angel Reese to Atlanta before the season.
That does not prove causation, but it provides a healthy list of complaints.
Then there is Minnesota.
The Lynx ranked third despite owning the WNBA’s best record. Perhaps winning creates impossible standards. Perhaps Reddit is simply Reddit.
The five most foul-mouthed fandoms were:
- Connecticut Sun, 3.14 percent
- Chicago Sky, 2.96 percent
- Minnesota Lynx, 2.65 percent
- Los Angeles Sparks, 2.47 percent
- Phoenix Mercury, 2.33 percent
Chicago leads negativity
Chicago also produced the largest share of negative comments at 27.95 percent.
Connecticut followed, while Los Angeles and Phoenix also landed near the bottom of the standings. Indiana was the exception, ranking fifth despite sitting in the playoff mix.
Las Vegas ranked ninth, with 20.94 percent of comments classified as negative.
The five most negative fandoms were:
- Chicago Sky, 27.95 percent
- Connecticut Sun, 24.64 percent
- Los Angeles Sparks, 24.17 percent
- Phoenix Mercury, 23.44 percent
- Indiana Fever, 23.07 percent
Portland keeps it pleasant
Portland finished as both the most positive and most polite fandom.
The Fire are also an expansion team, so the relationship is still new. Their fans may simply not have learned how to cuss at the roster yet.
Las Vegas ranked 12th in positivity, with 53.09 percent of comments carrying a positive tone. That leaves the Aces closer to the bottom than the top.
The five most positive fandoms were:
- Portland Fire, 58.74 percent
- Dallas Wings, 58.73 percent
- Washington Mystics, 58.01 percent
- Atlanta Dream, 57.65 percent
- Golden State Valkyries, 57.10 percent
The five most polite fandoms were:
- Portland Fire, 1.10 percent
- Toronto Tempo, 1.16 percent
- Golden State Valkyries, 1.17 percent
- Indiana Fever, 1.43 percent
- Dallas Wings, 1.49 percent
Las Vegas ranked ninth on that list. Since politeness used the same profanity rate in reverse, the Aces’ 2.26 percent placed them near the middle again.
Profanity is not abuse
The study measured swear words and computer-classified sentiment on Reddit. It did not measure every supporter, platform or type of behavior.
That distinction matters after Chelsea Gray shared a racist direct message following the Aces’ loss to Indiana.
A frustrated fan swearing in a game thread is one thing. Sending a racial slur directly to a player is something else entirely.
Still, Action Network’s findings capture part of the WNBA’s online atmosphere. The conversation can be funny, loyal and welcoming. It can also become hostile in a hurry.
Aces fans landed outside the worst groups, but they also missed the best ones.
That may be the most honest description of online fandom. Not always toxic, not always uplifting and rarely quiet.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
