INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White addressed reporters before Tuesday night's game, declaring that "The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that's trying to hijack our league will not win." The remarks came after White faced booing during pregame introductions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Fever went on to defeat the New York Liberty 106-92.
White, in her second year as the Fever's coach, responded to what she called "an online community that's trying to create narratives that simply don't exist." Critics said she did not adequately support Fever guard Sophie Cunningham following a flagrant foul incident Saturday. The lieutenant governor of Indiana called for White's firing.
The controversy stemmed from Saturday's game when Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington committed a flagrant 2 foul on Cunningham and was ejected. White's postgame comments about Carrington's competitive nature drew criticism from some fans.
White said Saturday that officials made the correct call against Carrington, while also praising Carrington's competitive drive. "Look, it was a hard foul. It did happen, and I thought it was the right call. One of the things about [Carrington] is that she's going to play her butt off, man. She's going to compete. Nobody's going to go walking in for a layup. I don't oppose the hard foul, but I also don't think that she intentionally went for the neck," White said.
On Tuesday, White said she had not seen the Carrington foul in real time and had not reviewed the play before her postgame news conference Saturday. She took issue with suggestions that she does not "100% always have my players' back."
"Our players' success, our players' health and wellness, our players' safety is always a top priority for me," White said. "One of the things I pride myself on is my relationships with players."
After reviewing the foul, White acknowledged its severity. "Thankfully, Sophie's OK. Was it egregious? Absolutely. When you have a chance to watch that over and over and over on replay, you can see that. I didn't have that in real time," she said. "I ride with them 10 toes down all the time, all the time. They know that."
During her Tuesday remarks, White pounded her fist on a table multiple times, then left without taking questions — a clear signal of her resolve. "We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided," she said.
Fever players rallied behind their coach after Tuesday's game. Clark said "there was no way we were losing this game tonight," and Cunningham also expressed support for White.
White extended her remarks beyond the immediate incident. "Every day, these women put their ass on the line. Every day, when they go low, we go high. Love will win, grace will win, humility will win and kindness will win. I stand by them. I will always stand by them," she said.
White previously coached Carrington for two seasons when both were with the Connecticut Sun, adding context to her initial comments about Carrington's competitive nature.
