The Indiana Fever just can’t seem to stay out of the headlines.
The team has been all over social media amid the reports of tension between head coach Stephanie White and top player Caitlin Clark.
And now, the Fever are right back atop the trending news cycle because of a controversial decision they recently made to ban top beat reporter Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files over some reporting he did on Clark’s injury status last month.
“Indiana Fever public relations informed me via email that my credentialed access to all team events had been revoked,” Agness wrote. “They said it was due to “the spread of inaccurate and unsubstantiated information” and cited my tweet about Caitlin Clark being ruled out 100 minutes before they defeated the Portland Fire on May 20.
“Fever PR briefly spoke with me before the game to ask about the tweet and state that they believed it was false. However, there was no meeting or further conversation before the decision to revoke my credentialed access was communicated to me.”
Agness Maintains He Did Nothing Wrong
GettyReporting he did on the injury status of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark lost Scott Agness his press credentials
Back on May 20, the Fever angered a large section of their fan base when they scratched Clark roughly 90 minutes before their game against the Portland Fire — a contest they won 90-73 despite Clark’s absence.
The move was confusing because Clark didn’t appear on the team’s injury report the day before the game, and fans felt slighted the team waited until so close to game time to announce Clark wouldn’t play.
Agness detailed what he heard from a source went into the team’s decision to bench Clark that day, and he maintains that he did nothing worthy of having his access to the team cut off.
“The reporting in question was not behind a paywall,” Agness continued. “It was available to anyone who wanted to read it. It was based on information from a trusted league source. The story provided additional details and was updated before tip-off to include head coach Stephanie White’s pregame comments.
“This is how beat reporting works. Report the news, gather additional context, speak with sources, and update readers as new information becomes available. Given the intense attention surrounding the Fever and Clark — who went from not appearing on the injury report to being ruled out — I believed it was important to provide context rather than allow speculation and misinformation to fill the void.”
Fever Fans Put the Team on Blast
GettyCaitlin Clark signs autographs for Indiana Fever fans
Fever fans quickly hit social media to call the team out over its questionable behavior after Agness revealed his run in with the team.
“The Fever are running a dictatorship, and will take away any reporters access if they don’t do what they are told. This is a problem,” one fan scoffed.
“This is ridiculous, Scott. You’ve always been the ultimate professional, and your coverage of the Fever is the best in the business. Something more is clearly going on there,” another fan pointed out.
“Unfollowed the Fever over this for starters. How many games should we boycott?” exclaimed a third fan.
“Disappointed is an understatement. Scott is spectacular at his job. What’s the goal here @IndianaFever – ineptly try to limit exposure of your star player’s load management? Are you really that thin skinned and short sighted to understand how media works? Don’t you want to be treated like the NBA? Stars sit out, everyone knows it,” one user replied.
“Something def going on here Scott. Appreciate the visibility into this and the events have they have played out through your lens. IMO the Fever are a joke and CC should GTFO the minute she’s a free agent,” remarked another user.
“I can’t stand this organization and it’s horrible management. Counting down the days til CC is with a great organization 🙏,” another fan stated.
Indiana Fever Ban Top Beat Reporter Over Caitlin Clark Incident