INDIANAPOLIS — During the third period of Thursday’s game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever, a pair of male spectators were removed from their floor-level seating at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The disruption started when Las Vegas guard Jackie Young threw the ball inbounds, gestured at some fans near the court, and addressed an official. Play was paused for a few minutes at the 4:38 mark of the quarter as security personnel guided a female fan, positioned in the first row right opposite the Aces’ bench, down a tunnel and out of view.
Shortly afterward, she was helped back to her original spot, while two men sitting close to her were escorted out instead.
“He had been trash-talking throughout the entire match,” Young remarked to journalists post-game. “I tolerated it for a while, but then he crossed the line with one particular comment.”
Young chose not to reveal the exact words the spectators directed at her, stating, “I believe it’s best to keep those details to ourselves.”
“After receiving a complaint regarding remarks made to an athlete, venue security interviewed both the spectator in question and onlookers,” the Fever announced in an official release. “Staff concluded that the Fan Code of Conduct was not breached. Although the individual was not expelled from the building, they chose to depart voluntarily. We now regard this situation as resolved.”
Despite how things turned out, Young expressed satisfaction with the way the situation was managed.
“They handled it correctly,” she commented. “Naturally, we prefer that spectators aren’t ejected, but we are human beings at the end of the day. People should just come to the arena to enjoy themselves without crossing the line.”
Las Vegas secured an 86-84 victory in extra time, clinched by Chelsea Gray’s last-second 3-pointer.
Contributions to this article were made by The Associated Press.
