Indiana Fever Respond to WNBA's Investigation of Angel Reese Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated May 18, 2025 5:40 PM ET

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky dropped their 2025 WNBA regular season opener, and it wasn't pretty.

On Saturday, Reese and the Sky fell to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, 93-58, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Although many have discussed the heated altercation between Clark and Reese that ended with a flagrant (Clark) and two technical fouls (Reese and Indiana's Aliyah Boston), the WNBA has bigger concerns at hand.

On Sunday, the WNBA made a statement on the opening Fever-Sky game, claiming it is looking into allegations of "racism, hate and discrimination."

“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter."

Although no more details have been confirmed at the time of this article, Indy Star's Chloe Peterson reported that the allegations of inappropriate conduct were directed toward Reese by fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"Sources with knowledge of the situation say this is related to allegations of racial comments directed at Sky forward Angel Reese by fan(s) in the crowd," Peterson wrote on X.

A few hours after the WNBA made a statement, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Mel Raines, part of the Fever leadership group, released a statement of her own regarding the active investigation.

"We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday's game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation," Raines wrote. "We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players."

pic.twitter.com/WCf2rVc2Pn
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 18, 2025

This issue with fan behavior began drawing more attention last season. Following a playoff game between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun, even Alyssa Thomas, now with the Phoenix Mercury, voiced concerns about the conduct of some Indiana fans.

"In my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base," Thomas said. "It's unacceptable, honestly."

Reese and the Sky will have a few days off before taking on the New York Liberty on Thursday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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