Sarah Spain thought Indiana Fever fans had been removed from games for violating the WNBA's fan code of conduct.
asserted
fans → think → conduct
Then general manager Amber Cox said no fans had been removed from the team's home games this season, citing the organization's security records.
asserted
fans → say → records
That news surprised Spain ... but it didn't stop her from criticizing Cox for sounding "defensive" in her rebuttal.
asserted
it → surprise → rebuttal
Well, wouldn't you be defensive if people kept trashing your fans and you had information that contradicted what they were saying?
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they → keep → what
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
uncertain
page → contain → partners
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
uncertain
News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
Spain certainly understands wanting to defend herself.
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Spain → understand → herself
When she didn't like one of my columns, she devoted part of her podcast to complaining about it.
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she → like → it
But when Cox pushes back on the media, Spain has a problem with her tone.
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Spain → push → tone
Cox challenges the media's portrayal of Fever fans
"The attacks on our fan base have no basis in reality, and they need to stop, especially with members of the media," Cox said during her season-ending news conference.
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Cox → challenge → conference
She clarified that she was referring to media who hadn't attended a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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who → clarify → Fieldhouse
Cox acknowledged that bad behavior happens and said anyone crossing the line, online or in an arena, should be held accountable.
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anyone → acknowledge → arena
But she also had information about the fans actually attending her team's games.
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she → have → games
"We did not have one fan pointed out by a player who violated the WNBA code of conduct this season.
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who → have → conduct
Not one fan was removed from a game," Cox said.
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Cox → remove → game
"We take this really seriously, and that is backed up by our security stats and the lived experiences of countless fans who we host at every game.
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we → take → game
"
"To be characterized in such a broad stroke is not fair," she added.
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she → characterize → stroke
On a recent episode of her podcast, Spain credited Cox for providing that information.
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Spain → credit → information
Perhaps more telling, though, is what Spain had assumed before hearing Cox's comments
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assumed → assume → comments
:
"I thought that there had been at least one incident where fans were removed and it had been clear that there had been an incident," Spain said.
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Spain → think → ?
What did the fan do?
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fan → do → What
Where did she get that impression?
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she → get → impression
Spain didn't identify the incident she had in mind or where she had heard about it, leaving listeners unable to check it against Cox's statement.
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she → identify → statement
Instead, Spain argued that Cox needed to acknowledge why players and visiting fans might feel there was a problem.
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players → argue → ?
So, even after presenting information that challenged the accusations against her fans, Cox still owed the people making those accusations a more accommodating response, according to Spain.
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Cox → present → Spain
Later, while agreeing with guest Jordan Robinson's criticism, Spain said: "The defensiveness as opposed to the openness.
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Spain → agree → openness
Not we want to fix why people have the wrong idea.
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people → want → idea
Instead, people have the wrong idea and we're mad at them."
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we → have → them
People can have the wrong idea, and the people they're talking about can be mad about it.
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they → have → it
Especially when those people have been repeatedly called racists and bigots.
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people → call → ?
Cox had already called for accountability for actual misconduct and cited the team's security records to defend her fans.
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Cox → call → fans
Spain still wanted her to be more accommodating, but Cox's job isn't to make the people trashing her fans feel better about being challenged.
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people → want → fans
What happens when the allegations don't hold up?
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allegations → happen → ?
Allegations get remembered as proven misconduct, and fans who chose to leave get remembered as having been kicked out.
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who → remember → misconduct
In May 2025, the WNBA investigated allegations of racist fan behavior during a Fever-Sky game.
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WNBA → investigate → game
The league reviewed audio and video and gathered information from fans, team personnel and arena staff.
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league → review → fans
The WNBA concluded that it could "not substantiate" the allegations.
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it → conclude → allegations
I wrote about ESPN's coverage while that investigation was still underway because commentators were plowing ahead with the narrative that Fever fans are racist without waiting for any evidence.
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fans → write → evidence
This year, in August, Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young complained about a Fever fan during a game, and security pulled him aside.
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security → complain → him
…and 48 more, not listed.
The Aporia
