At long last, Sydney Colson peeled back the layers on her time with the Indiana Fever and spoke broadly — and openly — about what it was like playing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the 2025 season. The Fever's fans have come under the microscope following an incident during which a man pointed at 5-time MVP A'ja Wilson, but conversations about the culture at the arena have become a pretty typical part of discussing the WNBA these days.
Colson made something clear that's worth mentioning as early as possible: everyone knows there are plenty of Fever fans that don't cause problems, and plenty of fans who are just hoping to watch a basketball game. In fact, based on what plenty of people have said (as well as direct experience from having attended many games in person), the vast majority of Fever fans are great. They get the team, they love the team, and they support the team.
But that's not true for all of them, and some send racist, homophobic, and threatening messages to the players on the team when things aren't going their way. And based on what Colson and her former teammate Kelsey Mitchell have said, it sounds like those messages are sent to Black players on the team far more often than they're sent to white players.
It's difficult to know if that last part is true, mostly because a lot of white players on the Fever haven't spoken up, a point made by Colson's podcast cohost and retired WNBA player Theresa Plaisance. Caitlin Clark made it clear Thursday morning she does not, and has not ever, condoned racist and harmful messages, comments that were welcomed by plenty of people.
But it was Colson's decision to offer her perspective on the Unsupervised podcast that is making the biggest waves. Colson revealed quite a bit: she was told she'd be coming back to the Fever until the 2026 season rolled around and she was not; also that she and her girlfriend have nearly always enjoyed their time at Gainbridge, with the exception being the recent game during which the fan accosted Wilson.
But that doesn't mean she hasn't seen, read, or experienced problematic fan commentary and interactions. "We have done little to nothing to address the problems that have happened within Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the arenas where the Fever are playing," Colson said. "Nobody said the fan who pointed is racist. But what I painted for you is an environment of a culture that's continuing and not being addressed."
While some steps have been taken, the ongoing discourse surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse has to be understood. The Fever is the only team that generates these headlines and these experiences; a lot of that is likely due to the various political factions that have glommed onto Clark, but there could be other factors at play. Colson's suggestion is that it's high time the WNBA truly addresses whatever is, or isn't, going on in Indiana, and that's the kind of suggestion someone would only make if they care about the future of the city, the team, and the WNBA.
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