‘I Know I’m Worth More’: Inola Basketball Player Targeted By Insults At Championship Game

An Inola high school senior says she was made fun of and called names by opposing fans during a high school basketball championship game. She says what should have been an exciting experience now is a bad memory.

One of Aubrey Mullen’s passions is the game of basketball. She’s played for the Inola Longhorns since the sixth grade, but her senior year is the most special since she and her teammates played for the state title.

“We’ve been working basically our whole career trying to make it to the big house,” she said. “We finally did this year after three years of falling short by one game.”

Mullen says what was supposed to be one of the most exciting days of her life turned into a horrible experience.

“It took me a minute to realize what they were saying,” she said. “My mouth dropped. I had to turn to one of my teammates.”

She says fans from the opposing fanbase, an Oklahoma City school, yelled insults and other nasty comments while she was sitting on the bench.

“I did not want to go in that game,” said Mullen. “I shouldn’t have to feel that way with it being my senior year and that being my last game.”

Inola athletics director Brett Thomas says these types of comments are not just trash talk.

“When you single out a person, that’s usually crossing the line,” said Thomas. “We hate it for our young lady, and hopefully, somebody will learn something from this.”

Thomas says the district reached out to the OSSAA, and the organization said to expect a call from officials from the other school. News On 6 is not naming the team since it has not gotten back to us with a comment.

Mullen is working to put the game behind her and focus on a great season.

“Just knowing that I have the whole town of Inola and such a huge community behind my back supporting me, it’s taken that weight off,” she said. “I know I’m worth more than what they were saying.”