Jose Fernandez didn’t talk about the game during the final moments of his press conference. Instead, after the Dallas Wings’ win, he chose to bring focus to something much more troubling that has taken place around the team. Fernandez spoke about Wings reporter Grant Afseth, who covers the team as well as other sports for Dallas Hoop Journal, Roundtable Network, and Ballislife.com.
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Following news that he stepped away from Wings coverage due to online harassment, Fernandez directly addressed the matter after the Wings beat the Toronto Tempo 94-88 on August 12.
“A very talented reporter. Passionate, talented, prepared. It’s really sad that he’s not in this room like he should. Because what he went through, nobody that covers any sports team should go through. And it’s really disappointing,” he told reporters in a clip shared by freelance journalist Drake Keeler on X.
“Grant was at every road game, as you know; he was always in here. Not biased at all. Did his research. I wanted to share that because he will be missed, and hopefully with your all support and with our support, we can get him back in here doing what he loves to do because he really cared about the Dallas Wings. And nobody should go through what he went through.”
The harassment reportedly stemmed from his coverage of rookie #1 pick Azzi Fudd, with certain fans making threats towards him and his family.
“I’ve covered plenty of star athletes and this is the only instance this has happened. So there’s your answer,” Afseth said in a post on X, and explained that the message screenshot he shared was not an isolated incident.
He also clarified that while he was completely stepping away from covering the Dallas Wings, his team would continue to cover the team, including updates about games and more.
“I’m not currently reporting on the Wings in person. My website now writes about every Dallas team, so we’ll have articles on the Wings even though I’m not there. I don’t consider that setup regular enough to say I’m “covering” them. I’m refraining from tweeting beyond links, too,” Afseth posted on X.
Following Afseth revealing the situation, Sara Jane Gamelli, the managing editor at Ballislife.com, came to his defense, highlighting the integrity and professionalism he has maintained in his coverage.
“He is one of the few interested in covering the basketball aspect without any hidden agenda. I’ve truly never met someone more dedicated to his work/coverage + is on the road nearly 365.”
Jose Fernandez also highlighted how the increasing harassment online was a growing problem for the WNBA, with everyone from staff to players facing it, and it’s become a big issue across the league this season.
Earlier this season, following an on-court altercation between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, Thomas revealed that she and her partner, DeWanna Bonner, had received threats and harassment, as well as racial slurs, and Chelsea Gray showcased an Instagram message she had received containing a slur as well.
Ultimately, for Jose Fernandez, the point of bringing up what happened to Afseth was clear: paying respect and trying to make sure no journalist has to endure what he did for simply covering a sports team.