Sarah Spain criticizes Fever GM for defending fans

Clear Facts

• Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox stated that no fans were removed from home games this season for violating the WNBA fan code of conduct.
• Sarah Spain criticized Cox for sounding “defensive” when responding to media accusations against Fever fans.
• The WNBA investigated alleged racist behavior by Fever fans in May 2025 and concluded it could “not substantiate” those claims.

Sarah Spain was surprised to learn that Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox had security records showing no fans were removed from home games this season.

Cox made the statement during her season-ending news conference while defending the team’s fan base against repeated attacks from the media.

Spain thought fans had been removed for violating the WNBA code of conduct, but Cox’s information contradicted that assumption.

“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,” Cox 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.”

Spain acknowledged the information but still criticized Cox for being too defensive instead of more accommodating to those making the accusations.

She argued that Cox should focus on why people have the wrong idea rather than being upset about the false claims against Fever fans.

“The defensiveness as opposed to the openness. Not we want to fix why people have the wrong idea. Instead, people have the wrong idea and we’re mad at them,” Spain said during a podcast episode.

The WNBA investigated allegations of racist fan behavior during a Fever-Sky game in May 2025.

The league reviewed audio and video evidence and concluded it could “not substantiate” those claims after gathering information from fans, team personnel, and arena staff.

Spain has shown no hesitation in defending herself when criticized.

When she disagreed with a column about her comments on WNBA media, she devoted part of her podcast to complaining about the coverage and accusing the outlet of running the same story repeatedly for clicks.

Spain also defended her own past use of sex appeal to advance her career while criticizing others for similar choices.

She described her 2007 eBay stunt offering herself as a date to the Super Bowl in a Chicago Bears cheerleader costume as “this really clever viral idea that ended up getting me tickets to the game and all these connections.”

Spain has made it clear she values the opportunity to defend herself when attacked.

Her criticism of Cox for pushing back against false accusations against Fever fans reveals a double standard in how she applies her standards for public discourse.

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