The Indiana Fever duo of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell contributed 47.6 points a game, but the 28-16 team lost in a three-game series to the Las Vegas Aces. A different discussion has taken precedence over the game.

This new debate revolves around the behavior of fans, and Bomani Jones claims that the Indiana Fever have painted themselves into a corner. Jones feels that the team can’t possibly complain about their own paying fans.

"I don't think all of these people are making this up. I don't believe that all these women who are in the league are just like jibber-jabbering. When it comes to this, there is an issue with the way that players and other fans are receiving the fans of the Fever," Jones said.

The Aces ace A’ja Wilson, who posted 36 points in the pivotal game, was involved in a viral interaction with a Fever fan in the series. Jones also mentioned how the reporting on the 2004 Malice at the Palace turned around when the media stopped pinning blame on the fans.

This precedent conflicts with the position taken by Fever general manager Amber Cox in a press conference last week, where she linked her stance to the league's conduct record.

In remarks reported by Awful Announcing, Cox said, "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."

The fan who made contact with Wilson was neither thrown out nor found in violation, and Cox added that the home games bring fans from 57 countries, all 50 states, and more than 35 percent from outside Indiana. Perception is the key issue.

Regardless of what the front office says, the players live a different experience, and Mitchell has been the most honest.

Kelsey Mitchell Opens Up on Pressure of Playing for Fever Fans

This is where Jones' argument carries more credibility because Mitchell explains what it's like every day. In the guard's exit interview, she talked openly about playing to an audience that doesn't always accept her.

"Showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard. 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 said Saturday via The Athletic.

Mitchell tied part of that scrutiny to Fever guard Caitlin Clark, saying, "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."

These words come as Mitchell is about to become an unrestricted free agent following her 1,086-point career record, scoring 24.7 points per game this season. She scored 23 points in Game 3 but could not help her team to avoid a 94-83 defeat to the Aces.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta