‘I would never step foot in their arena’: Former WNBA reporter does not hold back on Indiana Fever

This week, Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox gave an impassioned defense of Indiana Fever fans as she claimed that the "attacks" on the team's fanbase "have no basis in reality." However, one former WNBA reporter disputes that.

In response to Cox's comments, former WNBA reporter Dawn Montgomery says that she still refuses to set foot in Indiana's arena or attend one of their games on the road due to the fanbase.

During a press conference last week, Cox offered some strong words of support for Indiana Fever fans, pushing back against the negative narratives surrounding 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 told reporters last week via Awful Announcing . "Not you guys. I'm talking about media who have never been to a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Every organization in the league, every organization throughout professional sports, all the way down to youth rec leagues, have to deal with occasional bad behavior from spectators, and anyone who crosses the line is in an arena or online needs to be held accountable."

Cox pointed out that there has not been a single fan that was pointed out by a player who had actually been found to have violated the WNBA Code of Conduct.

"I want to be really clear about that. There is a line, and people need to be held accountable if they cross it. But here's the fact. 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," she said. "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. We have fans from 57 countries and all 50 states attend home games, and we drive global audience not only for the Fever but for the WNBA. And more than 35% of our fans are coming from outside of Indiana every game.

"Our fans love this team. They're going to cheer, they're going to boo, and sometimes, they might point. It's a home-court advantage for a reason, and it's the same for the Pacers. And all of that is within the code of conduct. Fever games have always been about inclusivity."

'I would never step foot in their arena'

Cox's claims quickly received a lot of pushback throughout the league, including Montogmery who claimed that she would "never step foot" in the arena for a Fever game because of the fans. She criticized Cox for her "extremely dismissive" comments.

"I'm a former member of the MEDIA who said that I would never step foot in their arena NOR when they play Atlanta. I STILL stand on that. This comment from her is extremely dismissive of that racist fan base and to act like ain't [expletive] happening is white privilege," Montgomery wrote in a post .

Montomery is not the only one to express this sentiment.