Independent reporter says he was denied access by the Pacers and Fever

It’s never a good day when a reporter has his credentials snatched for doing his job. Scott Agness, the independent reporter who created his Substack newsletter Fieldhouse Files, says the Indiana Pacers (in 2024) and the Fever recently took his.

He reported on Caitlin Clark’s absence that it was “part of a strategic management plan for the season,” and stood by it when challenged by the Fever’s PR department. Those in charge there are Jackie Maynard and Meg Van Dyk, and their position is that he spread misinformation, when his reporting is consistent with Clark’s handling.

Keep in mind that Agness has been on the scene, covering the Fever since 2013, way before they were the biggest attraction in the WNBA. He was also there when they were in the Finals in 2015.

The type of treatment Agness describes from the W is not a surprise. In my case, I’ve only ever found the league communications office helpful when asking about something that could help them (Asking for numbers on national TV games when the league started — my point was highlighting how growing a league takes a lot of years.) 

Two years ago, I emailed one of the two directors for WNBA Communications, Ron Howard, if the league was looking into Diana Taurasi’s dangerous late-game hit on Cheyenne Parker-Tyus at a critical moment in the game. His first response back was, “Are you a member of the media?”  when we had communicated in the past, and I had been on a conference call with him on it, and he refused to let me ask a question.

Perhaps they would have treated Agness with respect if ESPN or CBS were attached to his byline. Or maybe he should have been a shill, and then he’d still have his pass.

The WNBA Communications office did not respond to a request for comment, and Agness did not answer a request for an interview.