The Indiana Fever saw their 2024 season come to an end on Wednesday night after an 87-81 loss at the hands of the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of the WNBA Playoffs first round.

Things got a little heated early on as Fever rookie Caitlin Clark had security remove a fan from his second-row seat after exchanging some words with the former Iowa Hawkeyes star. But after a few minutes, the fan returned to his seat.

Following the game, the WNBA issued a statement on social media regarding hateful comments from fans.

“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” the statement read. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement, as necessary.”

Ever since Clark joined the league as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, the WNBA has seen a bigger spotlight than ever before. With that new spotlight comes new fans who bring in their hurtful comments towards players and coaches.

Even coach Christie Sides called the fans’ hurtful words “unacceptable” following Game 2. But the nasty comments have affected other teams in the league outside of the Fever.

Sun star Alyssa Thomas revealed that the negative comments from fans were out of control, and a couple of Chicago Sky players also shared the same experience following their season ending.

The Fever will head into the offseason with a big decision to make on guard Kelsey Mitchell, who is set to be a free agent this offseason. Meanwhile, the Sun will move on to the semifinals to face the winner of the Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury series.