During the third quarter of Thursday night’s Las Vegas Aces game against the Indiana Fever, two men were escorted from their seats at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after Aces guard Jackie Young pointed them out to arena security.
The incident occurred with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter, temporarily pausing the game. Initially, a woman in the front row near the Aces’ bench was escorted out but later returned to her seat. Security then removed the two men, who had been seated nearby, through a tunnel exit.
Young addressed the situation postgame, stating that one of the men had been “chirping” throughout the game and crossed a line with a comment she deemed inappropriate. “He was just chirping all game,” she told reporters. “I let him have it, and then he just made one that was a little bit too far.” She declined to specify the content of the remark.
The Indiana Fever issued a statement following the incident, noting that security reviewed the situation and found no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct. The fan in question was not formally removed but chose to leave the arena voluntarily. “Following a report of a comment directed toward a player, arena security spoke with the fan involved and witnesses. Security determined there was no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct, the fan was not removed from the arena, but elected to leave. We consider the matter closed,” the statement read.
The game itself remained competitive, with the Aces defeating the Fever 86-84 in overtime. Chelsea Gray hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the game at 75-75 in regulation, followed by another game-winning shot in overtime. Young led the Aces with 22 points, while Fever star Caitlin Clark finished with 20 points, eight assists, and eight turnovers, including missed free throws in the final minutes.
A’ja Wilson contributed 26 points for the Aces, and the contest featured nine lead changes between the fourth quarter and overtime alone. The victory marked a tight road win for Las Vegas against Indiana, maintaining their position among the WNBA’s top teams.