Hanging with one of Caitlin’s biggest haters

Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever’s GM Amber Cox attended the AU Pro Basketball Champions Week on Saturday alongside Mercury announcer Cindy Brunson and WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes. Brunson paid a heartfelt tribute to Cox for her presence and reminisced their professional relationship over the past decade.

Here’s what Brunson wrote for the Fever GM:

“So great to see my pal @AmberLCox of the @IndianaFever here for Champions Week at @AUProBasketball. In 2013 Amber let me fill in on @PhoenixMercury game and let me know what was possible in my TV play by play career after 13 years in studio at @espn. TY Amber.”

Cox was an executive at different levels with the Mercury until 2015. In 2014, she gave Brunson a big break in her play-by-play career after she spent 13 years in ESPN’s studio shows. Brunson has been on play-by-play duties for the Mercury, Razorbacks, AU Pro Sports and NBC Sports.

Despite their dynamic, Fever fans weren’t impressed with Amber Fox for being around Cindy Brunson and Sheryl Swoopes, who have infamously critiqued Caitlin Clark and been under heavy scrutiny.

The Fever faithful expressed their displeasure after Brunson took to X and posted picks with Fox and Swoopes, as one fan wrote:

“That is a bit much hanging with one of Caitlin’s biggest haters”

Another questioned Brunson, saying:

“Does she know how much you dog CC?”

One fan added:

“Amber Cox photographed with the biggest Caitlin Clark hater is ridiculous, imo. WTG Amber”

Another said:

“Amber, you are in danger, girl!”

One fan wrote:

“We linking with the opps now ?????”

Revisiting Cindy Brunson and Sheryl Swoopes’ criticism of Fever star Caitlin Clark

Cindy Brunson and Sheryl Swoopes’ criticism against Caitlin Clark has been well documented. The duo have been on X spaces filled with fans who blamed Clark and her fans for how black players in the WNBA were mistreated last season. Many felt it was Clark’s responsibility to speak against it, despite the rookie finding her feet in the WNBA at age 22.

Here’s what Brunson said about Clark in September last year on an X space:

“Let’s press the Indiana organization. If Caitlin isn’t going to do the right thing, I think general manager Lin Dunn, head coach Stephanie White, other folks in that organization need to push back on the vitriol aimed particularly at black women and LGBTQI+ women.”

Brunson was called out after her comments mocking an Iowa player resurfaced.

Meanwhile, Swoopes has had a history of takes, including some that weren’t factual. Swoopes refused to hail Clark after she broke her NCAA tournament scoring record. The WNBA legend pointed out that Clark had played an extra game.

She then called Clark a 25-year-old and claimed she averaged 40 shots when she broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record. Swoopes misreported both numbers.

The majority of the scrutiny against Sheryl Swoopes after these two major incidents were also around discrediting Caitlin Clark from WNBA honors and her impact on the game.

Edited by Arhaan Raje