The Indiana Fever have a “big problem” heading into the WNBA offseason.
Indiana fell to Las Vegas in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. The Fever fell to the Aces in three games. The series loss included a viral incident between Aces star A’ja Wilson and a Fever fan. While the Fever fan was not ejected – and found to not have been in violation of any code of conduct rules – Indiana’s fan base has faced consistent scrutiny from the WNBA.
“The attacks on our fanbase have no basis in reality, and they need to stop,” Fever GM Amber Cox said, “especially with members of the media. … 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.
“But here’s the fact: 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. … 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.”
Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images.
Regardless of what’s true about the Indiana Fever fan base, it’s clear that there’s a growing narrative throughout the WNBA.
Former ESPN star Bomani Jones believes it’s a “big problem” for the franchise.
Could it impact how players view the franchise in free agency? It sounds like it could.
“No player in their right mind is going to want to deal with what Kelsey had to… If I score 30 and play like the MVP..’The fans gonna be mad,'” one fan remarked.
“It’s no winning!”
It’ll be interesting to see how things transpire for the Fever this offseason.
