Stalk

A new problem for college sports is developing, particularly now that athletes' are promoted through their Name-Image-Likeness (NIL). From the NY Times: 

On Valentine’s Day 2023, Latyr Thiaw, a 19-year-old maintenance worker living in Washington, D.C., saw a picture of UCLA women’s basketball player Kiki Rice on Instagram. He then watched interviews with her on YouTube and felt something “magnetic” between them. She reminded him of a character from “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” In the months that followed, Thiaw sent Rice dozens of unanswered messages on social media, and he changed the background screen on his phone to a picture of her. Then, in mid-December 2023, Thiaw flew to Los Angeles, rented a U-Haul van, parking near the UCLA campus for days and sleeping in the back.

On several occasions, Thiaw stood outside of UCLA’s practice facility waiting for Rice. Once, he sat on a bench for hours alongside a glass vase of white and red roses and a handwritten card that read, “Kiki Carroll Rice once upon a time you caught my sight through a life full of strife…you got me through the night…I want do something kosmik with you that will be enough till the end of time.”

On Dec. 21, as Rice warmed up for the UCLA/Hawaii game in Pauley Pavilion, she felt eyes on her. It was Thiaw — in the second row, standing up, wearing a suit, and staring intently at her. Soon after, UCLA banned Thiaw from all its facilities and events, and the athletic department posted a flyer with a photograph of Thiaw that read, “Please do not engage with this individual or allow entry into any athletic facility.” Despite the ban, Thiaw attempted to attend another UCLA game by entering through the student-only section and, according to a police report, he pushed past security in an attempt to make contact with Rice. He was arrested and charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with stalking and two counts of resisting a police officer. He pleaded not guilty to those three charges, but his behavior continued.

“I do not know Latyr, I do not have any relationship with him, and his incessant efforts to track me down and confront me cause me to worry for my safety and are deeply disturbing,” Rice stated in her request for a restraining order in January 2024. “I have no protection when I am off campus or at away games.” ...

Full story at https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6543019/2025/08/12/athlete-stalking-cases-wnba-tennis-nfl-college-sports/.