Indiana Fever players past and present have pushed back on an assertion that the team’s fans are not an issue.
On Saturday the Fever’s general manager, Amber Cox, defended Indiana’s fanbase after a series of criticisms over their conduct this season.
“The attacks on our fanbase have no basis in reality, and they need to stop, especially with members of the media,” Cox said. “I’m talking about media who have never been to a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Every organization in the league, every organization throughout professional sports, all the way down to youth rec leagues, have to deal with occasional bad behavior from spectators. And anyone who crosses the line in an arena or online needs to be held accountable. I want to be really clear about that: There is a line, and people need to be held accountable if they cross it.”
Criticism of Fever fans occurred again in Game 2 of Indiana’s playoff series with the Las Vegas Aces. Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson confronted a Fever fan after he had shouted and pointed at her. The man was taken to the back of the arena before returning to his seat when it was determined he had not broken the fan code of conduct.
“We did not have one fan pointed out by a player who violated the WNBA code of conduct this season. Not one fan was removed from a game,” Cox said. “Our fans love this team. They’re going to cheer, they’re going to boo and sometimes they might point. It’s a home-court advantage for a reason, and it’s the same for the Pacers. And all of that is within the code of conduct.”
However, Fever player Brianna Turner, who now plays for the Aces, disagreed with Cox’s comments.
“This is an unequivocally false statement,” Turner wrote on social media. “Players inside and outside the organization have repeatedly issued complaints with the Fever fanbase. While it’s not all Indy fans, it’s certainly a trend. To say the attacks have ‘no basis in reality’ is disingenuous.”
Kelsey Mitchell, who had a career-best season with the Fever, said on Saturday that playing in Indiana can be difficult at times because of interactions with some of the team’s fans. She has spent her entire career with the Fever since she was drafted in 2018.
“I don’t think people really understand how much we endure,” said Mitchell, who is a free agent this offseason. “Like, if I showed y’all my DMs about the hate and all of the stuff that comes with being a professional athlete, but specifically being an Indiana Fever basketball player, it’s a lot that goes into that. And those days are hard as hell.”
Mitchell is entering free agency and said she would “be selfish where my career is going”, indicating it was tough being Caitlin Clark’s teammate at the Fever.
“Playing with [Clark] and having the eyes that she’s got [on her], we get a lot of flak just from being on her team,” Mitchell said.
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Mitchell has had a superb season, averaging 24.7 points a game, but said it could still be a struggle playing for the team.
“Showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard,” Mitchell said Saturday. “… I think this organization is unbelievable, man, but I think that when it comes to, like, really trying to be yourself, it hasn’t always been easy.”
Mitchell also paid tribute to the team’s part in her career, adding that “everything I’ve grown to be is [due to] the Fever.”
Fever lost their playoff series against the Aces 2-1.
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