Overview
- Grant Afseth said he has received death threats and sustained online harassment related to his critical coverage of rookie Azzi Fudd and has stopped in-person reporting for the Dallas Wings while limiting his social-media activity.
- Jose Fernandez used Wednesday's postgame press conference to condemn the abuse, describe Afseth as a diligent, non-biased beat reporter and urge public support for his return to the press room.
- Afseth’s employer and Ballislife managing editor Sara Jane Gamelli defended his professionalism and noted he regularly attended road games and provided game-focused coverage.
- Reports say some threats targeted Afseth’s family and that the hostility grew from fan backlash to coverage of the No. 1 draft pick’s uneven rookie season.
- News coverage frames the episode as part of a wider WNBA problem this season with online threats and racist abuse toward players, staff and media, and there are no public reports yet of law-enforcement action or formal league policy changes.