In the Face of Cruelty, Cla Found Unexpected Allies in Fierce Rival NAVI 

For Clarisse Owari—better known as Cla, the midlaner of Team Liquid’s female squad—a moment that should have been triumphant quickly turned into something else.

After a strong run at the Athena Cup, Team Liquid celebrated their female team online. But what greeted them wasn’t support. Thousands of “Haha” reactions swarmed the post. And in the comments, the focus was on Cla. Not mechanics, her map sense, or her role in the team’s success—but her appearance. Strangers even compared her to Team Liquid Indonesia’s Favian, who, like Cla, has a fuller frame. 

The comparison was not made in admiration.

It was weaponized—not because of who Favian is, but because people used it to mock Cla’s appearance and question her place in esports. It was wielded as a joke—a lazy punchline rooted not in skill, but in body-shaming.

Cla was heartbroken.

“Syempre malungkot po,” she tells me, her voice steady but heavy, like someone who’s learned to carry pain in quiet places. “Masyado po nilang fina-fat shame, face shame yung mga tao sa esports. Hindi lang po sa akin, madami pang iba diyan na victims ng mga bashers.”

She cried. But she didn’t collapse.

Before entering the spectacle of esports, Cla was just another hopeful climbing the ranked ladder. She saw a post looking for players to form a female esports team. The first try didn’t work out—but the next one did. From then on, she never looked back. She played for Supermonching, a grassroots team run by a silent benefactor who asked for no glory in return. “Wala po siyang hininging kapalit.” Cla says. All she gave was support. And all Cla gave back was her grind.

It paid off. Runner-up finishes, a roster slot in Team Liquid’s all-female Mobile Legends team, and now—Team Philippines’ representative to the MSC.

But with the spotlight came the shadows.

What gives cruelty its power is not just volume, but echo. When no one speaks up, hate multiplies.

That’s why it mattered so much when members of the newly-formed NAVI PH Female Team—former Smart Omega Empress players—took Cla’s side.

“Tatagan mo ang loob mo, Cla,” says Gwen Diagon. “Mga distractions lang ‘yan. Mga insecure na tao. Saka na sila magsalita kapag kaya na nilang tapatan ang laro mo,” Gwen told ALL-STAR. 

“Nakikita ko ang performance niya,” adds Alexandria Dardo. “Ipagpatuloy niya lang. Huwag niyang intindihin yung mga bashers.”

And Mery Vivero, speaking with the weight of someone who’s been through the same: “Marami lang talagang bastos sa social media. Pero malakas si Cla.”

The bashing wasn’t just about Cla but also about women—in esports, in gaming, in any field where visibility becomes vulnerability.

“Kapag sa lalaki, okay lang,” Gwen points out. “Pero kapag sa babae, at may hindi sila gusto sa physical appearance… grabe na ang sinasabi nila.”

“Pinoproject nila yung sariling kapangitan nila.”

Upon hearing the support from NAVI’s female players, Cla’s expression softened—relief and gratitude washing over her.

“Thank you, kasi babae tayo. Kahit hindi tayo super close, hindi ninyo tino-tolerate yung ganoong bashers.”

And if her bashers are reading this, know that Cla isn’t just surviving. She’s thriving. She’s at the MSC. She’s making noise. Not with words, but with her gameplay. Not with her looks, but with her leadership.