Indiana Fever Revokes Credentials of Journalist Over Caitlin Clark Injury Report

The Indiana Fever have taken the significant step of revoking the credentials of veteran sports reporter Scott Agness, as he disclosed on his Fieldhouse Files platform. In an email dated May 21, the Fever informed Agness that he would no longer be permitted to attend team events due to a social media post they deemed to disseminate “inaccurate and unsubstantiated” details about Caitlin Clark's health.

Agness, who previously worked for The Athletic before starting his substack in 2020, had his Pacers credentials revoked in 2024 for parking in the media lot without authorization. Both the Fever and the Pacers declined to comment on the recent situation when approached by The Athletic.

The controversy arises from Agness’ May 20 report, which stated that Clark would not participate in a game against the Portland Fire shortly before the match, suggesting it was part of a broader strategic management plan for the season. “Fever guard Caitlin Clark will NOT play tonight vs Portland Fire. I’m told it’s part of a strategic management plan for the season,” he posted on X, just 100 minutes before the game.

Following his tweet, Agness was approached by the Fever's media relations team, where he was confronted about his report. “I met (Fever media relations) in the hallway and she shows me her phone and said, ‘What is this? This is false,’” Agness recounted. He maintained that he had received the information from a reliable source and stood by his report.

During the pregame press conference, Fever head coach Stephanie White contradicted Agness’ claims, stating, “There’s no managing. She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.” Agness noted he did not reach out to the Fever for confirmation prior to publishing, believing his source was trustworthy and wanting to reassure fans about Clark’s condition.

The situation surrounding Clark’s absence drew scrutiny, especially since the Fever had not listed her on their injury report, despite her missing practice the day before. The WNBA later issued a warning to the Fever for breaching injury report protocols. The Professional Basketball Writers Association expressed strong opposition to the revocation of Agness's access, stating that preventing reporters from doing their jobs undermines public interest. Agness indicated that discussions with PBWA leadership have revealed no progress toward restoring his credentials.