Fever Coach Stephanie White Isn’t Backing Down After WNBA Punishment originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White is not the type who keeps her opinion to herself, which is a characteristic that has gotten her into trouble in the past.
Back in May, she went on an unfiltered tirade against the referees following a loss to the New York Liberty. White later revealed that she was fined by the WNBA.
While it has now been several months since the incident, it is now clearer than ever that White is not backing down from her stance.
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Fever Coach Stephanie White Reveals WNBA Punishment
In her postgame press conference after the Fever suffered a controversial 90-88 loss to the Liberty on May 24, White did not hold back in expressing her true feelings about the game officials.
“I thought [Caitlin Clark] got fouled,” White said. “I think it’s pretty egregious, what’s happening to us the last two games.
“The disrespect [by the referees] for our team, right now, has been pretty unbelievable. So it’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways, or it hasn’t gone both ways.”
White later added that she believes the WNBA’s system is broken in terms of giving teams the opportunity to communicate their grievances. “We’re not looking for a change, we’re looking for consistency,” she said.
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In a subsequent interview, White admitted to being fined by the league, presumably for her strong statement against the game officials.
White Doubles Down
White visited ESPN’s studio on Monday for the “NBA Today” show, and one of the questions she was asked was about her previous comments about the referees. When questioned if she felt that there is a change since she publicly criticized the officiating in the WNBA, the veteran shot-caller got brutally honest in her response.
“I don’t know if there’s been a lot of difference,” she said. “I think the biggest thing is that we just want accountability.
“We want everybody to continue to grow. This league and the players are as good as its ever been, and they’re as good and versatile as they’ve ever been. We want that trend to continue to grow in all facets of our league.
“No one has been shy about speaking up about it. The players deserve it. Our game deserves it.”
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Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White isn’t backing down on her strong stance on officiating in the WNBA.© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
White hasn’t only refused to change her stance on this hot topic, but she’s even decided to double down on her strong take. The Fever coach, however, took a calmer and more indirect approach with her new comments, which do not seem likely to warrant another fine from the league.
Nevertheless, there’s no denying that White’s message remains crystal clear.
Related: Sophie Cunningham Had Words for Indiana Fever Teammate Who Shot 3-of-16 Against Storm
Related: Caitlin Clark Loses Spot in Fever Franchise History on Sunday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
