Caitlin Clark may be the new face of women’s basketball, drawing legions of devoted fans wherever she goes. Still, some of those fans might need a refresher course on how to behave when they attend WNBA games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The WNBA recently announced it is investigating fan behavior at Fever games following allegations of “racial comments” directed at Chicago Sky players, specifically Angel Reese, during their game with the Indiana Fever recently at sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
After beating the Sky, 93-58, the Fever lost at home to the Atlanta Dream Tuesday 91-90 despite 27 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds from Ms. Clark. The game was played without any reported incidents on the court or in the stands.
A spokesperson for the city’s tourism bureau told the New York Sun that some of the problems during the Sky game might stem from outsiders, who have hopped aboard the Caitlin Clark bandwagon.
“Fever fans are now well beyond Indiana residents,” Clare Clark, the senior communications manager of Visit Indy, told the Sun. “When you go into Gainbridge Fieldhouse, it’s a handful of residents, but there’s a huge increase in demand from visitors to see the women play on their home court. From a tourism impact, we’ve seen the influx of visitors coming in from Iowa and throughout the nation.”
Ms. Clark is a lifelong resident of Indianapolis and has been to a number of games at the Fieldhouse involving the Fever and the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. She said any reports of bad fan behavior could be from out-of-state residents. “Basketball is in the blood of Hoosiers throughout the state,” she said. “Me as a fan, I’ve never had a negative experience, whether it be for a Pacer game or a Fever game.”
The WNBA investigation is also the first major test of the league’s new “No Space for Hate” initiative rolled out earlier this month. The initiative is aimed at addressing multiple reports of hateful fan comments online and in arenas throughout 2024.
Developed by a task force comprised of league and team representatives, the WNBA Players Association, and the WNBA, the initiative is focused on three areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphases on team, arena and league security measures, reinforcing mental health resources and aligning against hate.
“There’s no place for that in our game and there’s no place like that in society,” Ms. Clark said while preparing for Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Dream. “Certainly, we want every person that comes into our arena, whether they’re a player or whether they’re a fan, to have a great experience.”
Ms. Reese, whose rivalry with Ms. Clark during their collegiate career is well documented, drew the ire of Fever fans for her reaction to Ms. Clark intentionally fouling Ms. Reese and spinning her to the floor to prevent her from scoring during the Fever’s 93-58 win.
An angry Ms. Reese got up from the deck and voiced her displeasure at Ms. Clark, who had already turned her back and was walking away as several players restrained Ms. Reese. Ms. Clark was issued a flagrant foul, and Ms. Clark was booed for the remainder of the game.
Afterwards, both players called it “a basketball play.”
The game concluded without incident, but the league soon announced its investigation into fan behavior. “We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players,” Chicago Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said in a statement, “and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
The “No Space for Hate” program includes a new Code of Conduct to ensure “guests will enjoy the basketball experience free from disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language and obscene gestures.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, said the goal of the program is ambitious. “We want our arenas and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol,” she said, adding, “It’s our responsibility to protect what makes this sport so special and ensure we continue to inspire the next generation of women’s basketball fans.”
Interestingly, the “No Space for Hate” initiative was created in part due to criticism from WNBA players over the last year and a half about the behavior of some Fever fans. Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington [posted](https://x.com/DijonaiVictoria/status/1828988941304725722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1828988941304725722%7Ctwgr%5E76317621bfa963b4205a8cfae9be1bb77afb389c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fonsi%2Fwomens-fastbreak%2Fnews%2Fsun-star-dijonai-carrington-has-no-words-for-nastiest-fever-fans-before-wnba-playoffs-01j8dqfdt99y) on social media last year while playing for the Connecticut Sun that the Fever had “the nastiest fans” in the league. The post, dated Aug. 28, 2024, after the Fever defeated the Sun, attracted 3.6 million views and counting
After the Sun eliminated the Fever in the first round of the playoffs, Alyssa Thomas, now with the Phoenix, [said](https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/fever/2024/09/25/alyssa-thomas-calls-out-racist-comments-from-some-indiana-fever-fans-online-abuse-caitlin-clark/75387522007/) she had “never experienced” the kind of verbal taunts she endured in Indiana. “We don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial things,” Ms. Thomas said in December.
Mel Raines, the CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which operates the Fever, said he welcomes the investigation, though his organization could face a stiff fine for fan misbehavior. “We are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation,” Mr. Raines said in a statement. “We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
The Fever won’t return home again until Saturday when the defending WNBA Champion New York Liberty visit the Fieldhouse. It’s part of what Ms. Clark called “a trifecta weekend” in Indianapolis. The Indiana Pacers will host Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Final against the New York Knicks on Sunday, a few hours after the Indianapolis 500 is run at the Indianapolis Speedway.