Duke star Wendell Carter Jr.'s mother says Rhode Island fan called her a 'b----'

Henry Bushnell
·Senior soccer reporter

The mother of Duke freshman Wendell Carter Jr. said she was verbally abused by a Rhode Island fan and forced to switch seats during Duke’s second-round NCAA tournament win over the Rams on Saturday.

Carter spoke to a local Raleigh-Durham reporter at halftime, and said the Rhode Island fan called her a “b—-.”

“Nobody wants to be called a name like that,” she said in the interview with ABC 11’s Bridget Condon. “Especially when it’s a white guy, and I’m black.”

Duke forward Marvin Bagley got called for a charge early in the game, and Carter, according to her version of the events, reacted by saying, “C’mon ref, that wasn’t a charge.”

One of the Rhode Island fans then looked at her and said, “Yes it was, b—-,” she claims.

Carter says she told the guys it was “ugly” – “You shouldn’t talk to me like that, I’m not talking to you at all” – but that the Rhode Island fans told here to “shut up, shut up, get over there, Duke fan.”

Carter said the fans had been a “problem already,” and that security arrived to resolve the incident. According to Carter and another report, at least one Rhode Island fan was led away.

Per the same report, Carter appeared to be wiping away tears:

She then moved to sit in another section of Duke fans, and was able to enjoy the second half of Duke’s resounding 87-62 victory.

Wendell Carter Jr.’s mom during an interview with ABC 11’s Bridget Condon. (Screenshot: Twitter)
Wendell Carter Jr.’s mom during an interview with ABC 11’s Bridget Condon. (Screenshot: Twitter)

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Henry Bushnell covers soccer and college basketball for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.

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