I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I don’t believe there has ever been a fanbase more vilified and slandered than Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark fans. The fanbase has been labeled as hateful by the media, opposing players and even A’ja Wilson’s mom. Some media and fans, including Aces fans I spoke with outside the arena for Game 2 of the First Round of the WNBA Playoffs between the Aces and Fever, went as far as calling Fever fans “racist.”
This isn’t just a talking point this season, either. This has been happening since Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 overall pick three seasons ago. As many of our writers have pointed out, there is a clear disdain for the Fever fan base. Our speculation is that media, players and other fan bases cannot stomach the idea that millions of new fans don’t believe and vote the way they do. All that to say, Indiana Fever General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Amber Cox, who Fever fans have been calling to take a stern stance against the unfounded claims and divisive rhetoric spewed toward the Fever faithful, addressed the “attacks on the fanbase” in her season-ending press conference on Saturday.
ACES’ FANS SPEW UNFOUNDED CLAIMS THAT FEVER FANS ARE ‘RACIST’ WHILE DEFENDING A’JA WILSON
After speaking to the media for over 15 minutes about her assessment of the season, including what she believed worked well, what didn’t, improvements to the roster that need to be made, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell’s historic season and everything in-between, she then read a prepared statement.
“I have one more thing I wanted to address,” Cox started. “I just wanted to thank our Fever fan base for all of the support they continue to give us not only at home but on the road.”
She then stated boldly, “We have the best fans in the league,” and discussed the unique mix of diversity both in cultural and ethnic background due to fans traveling from all “all 50 states” as well as “57 countries.”
After pointing out that the team delivered 14 of the top 15 WNBA broadcasts this season, some of which broke viewership records, with the only broadcast not in the top 15 being the WNBA All-Star game which featured three Fever players as starters (Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston), she lowered the boom.
“The attacks on our fan base have no basis in reality, and they need to stop, especially from members of the media,” Cox stated while looking toward the press room, making clear she wasn’t specifically addressing the reporters in attendance.
“I’m talking about media that have never been to Gainbridge Fieldhouse,” she continued. “Every organization throughout the league and every organization throughout professional sports, all the way down to youth rec leagues, have to deal with occasional bad behavior from spectators.”
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She then provided facts that are irrefutable to the media, players and others that have mischaracterized and maliciously mislabeled the Fever fan base by stating, “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.”
You have to remember that A’ja Wilson wasn’t the only player who tried to have a fan unfairly ejected this season. Earlier in the year, Aces point guard Jackie Young attempted to have two white male Fever fans removed from a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during an early-August matchup. Just like the Fever fan whom Wilson approached and verbally berated for simply pointing at her, the two men were found by security to have broken no rules.
In both cases, the Amazon Prime broadcast condemned the fans’ actions without knowing the facts. To the broadcast crews, the fans were guilty until proven innocent, helping perpetuate the unfounded label that Fever fans were hateful, unruly and even discriminatory.
Before I move on to some of Cox’s final comments, Fever fans were also condemned for “monkey noises” made towards Angel Reese in the 2025 season. Those accusations were proven to be false. They were egregious lies meant to characterize a fanbase as racist. Even the WNBA came out with a public statement regarding the investigation that stated “The WNBA strongly condemns racism,” which I felt brought some sort of validity to the accusation, whether they meant to or not. It was unhelpful for the Fever fan base, and the league as a whole. It was a witch hunt, plain and simple.
Cox continued saying, “We take this really seriously and that is backed up by our security stats and the lived experience of countless fans, who we host at every game.”
“Our fans love this team. They’re gonna cheer, they’re gonna boo, and sometimes, they might point,” Cox said, poking fun at the Game 2 incident involving the fan with whom the Aces forward took issue.
“Fever games have always been about inclusivity. Sports are the ultimate unifier,” Cox said.
DETAILS EMERGE IN INCIDENT BETWEEN ACES STAR A’JA WILSON AND FEVER FAN DURING PLAYOFF GAME
After she stated that she wants “everyone to be a fan of the Fever” and wrapped up her prepared statement with a “Go Fever,” she allowed one more question from the media to clarify the statements she just made.
“I think there have been, obviously, during our playoff series, some narratives around our fan base that are frankly not true and I thought it was important to say that no one has ever violated that fan code of conduct.”
Cox’s final comments included a glowing review of the fans, saying, “We have a great fan base. Night in and night out, I walked out and there’s 17,000 people cheering us on and they’re spending hard-earned money to come here. There are little kids — boys and girls who are being inspired by our team.”
Cox’s final point made it clear: “To be characterized in such a broad stroke is not fair.”
About dang time.
This fan base has become a force to be reckoned with across the league because of its sheer size and passion. It’s also the reason Fever opponents are playing in NBA arenas whenever Clark and her teammates come to town. As Cox said, these fans are dedicated and spend their hard-earned money — sometimes enormous amounts of it — to see the team.
Clark has inspired fans across the country and around the globe while establishing herself as a must-watch athlete. Sophie Cunningham has become a megastar by boldly stating that men have no business competing in women’s sports — all while shooting the lights out from beyond the 3-point arc. Kelsey Mitchell had a historic season, setting a record by scoring 20 or more points in consecutive games and emerging as a bona fide MVP candidate.
The Fever aren’t some sideshow. They are the show. They are a driver for economic and cultural change within the WNBA. That’s clear.
While I wish this rebuke came sooner, and I wish Cox would have named names, this was much-needed. Whoever the next commissioner is needs to crack down on the divisive rhetoric. They need to build bridges and put the hammer down on the left-wing political activism and activists, who are cancerous to the league’s growth and sustainability.
