Revoked Indiana Fever credentials raise questions about press access
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Illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios
Despite being known as the man behind the Fieldhouse Files, it's unclear how much time veteran sports reporter Scott Agness will spend in Gainbridge this summer.
Why it matters: The Indiana Fever's decision to revoke credentials from Indy's longest-running Fever beat writer raises questions about press access.
Driving the news: Agness said he had lost access to all Fever games and events in a Tuesday update on his Fieldhouse Files Substack.
- He wrote that he was told it was due to "the spread of inaccurate and unsubstantiated information" in reference to a May 20 report about Caitlin Clark sitting out the team's win over the Portland Fire to rest her back.
- As of Friday, the Substack post had garnered more than 2 million views on X, national coverage, and scores of users clashing in the comments.
Between the lines: Agness told Axios the team took issue with his tweeting that Clark's absence was part of a strategic management plan — a piece of information he said was shared with him by a trusted league source but not verified with the organization.
- Head coach Stephanie White said in pregame comments that Clark was healthy and the team was not "managing anything," with the decision meant to give her more time to return from lingering back issues.
Agness wrote that his goal was to provide clarity around Clark's status and let concerned fans know she wasn't dealing with any new injuries after missing all but 13 games last season.
The other side: A Fever spokesperson declined to comment to ESPN on the specifics of the team's situation with Agness, adding the decision was not reflective of a broader media policy.
- The Fever and the WNBA have not responded to Axios' requests for comment.
Zoom out: The Professional Basketball Writers Association issued a statement Wednesday in support of Agness.
- "The PBWA objects in the strongest possible terms to any reporter losing access for the act of reporting," the statement read. "Any effort to prevent reporters from doing the work of informing the public reflects poorly on any team and league which attempts to do so, and runs contrary to the best interests of all involved, most of all the public."
What's next: Agness, who has covered the Fever since 2013 and has a connection to Gainbridge Fieldhouse dating back to his days as a ball boy in the mid-aughts when it was Conseco, is still on the beat.
The last word: "This is what I think about when I wake up. This is what I think about when I go to bed," Agness told Axios. "I hope there is a resolution. But I see no reason why I should let this get in my way and keep me from doing the job that I have done for the last decade plus."