Fever Face Backlash for Banning Reporter Over Caitlin Clark Story
The start to the 2026 WNBA season has been anything but smooth for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The team has dropped four of its first eight games, and with Clark's health issues and foul trouble, tension has been building within the organization and is now spilling into the open.
Clark and head coach Stephanie White had a heated exchange on the sidelines during their recent loss to the Portland Fire. Although both later downplayed the incident, it fueled reports that White was on the verge of being fired by the front office. Those rumors ultimately proved false, but the Fever organization is now taking a tougher stance toward reporters.
Earlier in May, ahead of a game against the Fire, the Fever sparked controversy by suddenly ruling Clark out just 100 minutes before tipoff, even though she had not initially appeared on the injury report. The news was first reported by Fever beat reporter Scott Agness, and the franchise later received a warning from the league for violating WNBA injury reporting rules.
Now, according to Agness, his credentialed access to all team events has been revoked over allegations of "the spread of inaccurate and unsubstantiated information." The Fever's public relations department cited his X post regarding Clark's late scratch as the reason for the decision.
Agness is one of the most experienced and respected reporters covering the Fever and the NBA's Indiana Pacers, and the move has drawn significant backlash from both media members and fans.
"The Indiana Fever have revoked the credential of the longest-serving reporter covering the team. Scott Agness announced that he has been banned because of his reporting on Caitlin Clark's surprising absence from a game in May. Banning a reporter is never the right thing to do," wrote the author of 'ON HER GAME: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports.'
The Indiana Fever have revoked the credential of the longest-serving reporter covering the team. Scott Agness announced that he has been banned because of his reporting on Caitlin Clark's surprising absence from a game in May. Banning a reporter is never the right thing to do. https://t.co/zo2wfuetKZ
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 2, 2026
"This is absolutely CRIMINAL," wrote veteran sports columnist Jason Whitlock. "Pat McAfee, as the strongest media voice in Indianapolis, has to address this. The Caitlin Clark Six must be STOPPED. It's a group of communist."
"This is just wrong. Scott is the best when it comes to coverage for both the Pacers and Fever, and he's not some random blogger. Scott is a true professional at what he does, and having his credentials revoked for reporting on FACTUAL information is extremely poor," Clutch Sports insider Brett Siegel added.
Some observers are even calling for the WNBA to step in, while others are placing blame directly on the league.
"Well this is an embarrassment. WNBA needs to step in," one user added.
"the wnba needs to realize that being a journalist doesnt mean being a cheerleader," another added.
"The WNBA vs. actually being covered by media has been quite the battle. Hopefully the league steps in and this is remedied because pulling credentials over not liking the framing of a report is bad practice for a league that wants the same coverage the others get," a third user added.
The issue is that Agness did not even report the Fever's violation of league rules, but simply wrote that Clark had been ruled out under a "strategic management plan for the season." His post appeared a few minutes before the team's official announcement, which listed a back injury as the reason for her absence. The timing of the disclosure nevertheless resulted in a violation of league reporting rules.
Agness said he was contacted by the Fever's PR team before that game and informed that his post was inaccurate. However, he was not notified of the decision to revoke his access to team facilities until he received an email on Tuesday.
It remains to be seen whether the WNBA will step in, but things are clearly far from smooth within the Fever organization.
Related: Caitlin Clark Responds to WNBA Opponents Attacking Her Defense
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:29 AM.