The Indiana Fever secured a 90-86 road victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday afternoon, but the final score was overshadowed by a violent first-quarter foul and the postgame comments that followed.
Fever head coach Stephanie White found herself at the center of online backlash after defending a dangerous foul committed against Sophie Cunningham.
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Stephanie White Draws Heat for Remarks on DiJonai Carrington‘s Hard Foul on Sophie Cunningham
The defining incident occurred late in the first quarter at United Center when Cunningham drove the floor for a fast-break layup. Carrington chased her down from behind and struck her aggressively across the head and neck.
Cunningham hit the floor hard as the shot miraculously fell through the net. The officials reviewed the contact and upgraded the call to a Flagrant 2 foul after determining there was windup, impact, and follow-through.
The decision carried an automatic ejection for Carrington.
During the post-game media availability, many expected White to condemn the dangerous play that sent Cunningham crashing to the hardwood.
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However, the Fever head coach offered a measured defense of the ejected Sky player.
“One of the things about Nai (DiJonai Carrington) is that she’s going to compete. No one’s going to walk in for an easy layup, so I don’t oppose the hard foul. But I also don’t think she intentionally went for the neck,” White said.
Many were not pleased with White extending the benefit of the doubt to Carrington, with WNBA analyst Jason Whitlock expressing his disdain.
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“I will never utter a word in Stephanie White’s defense again. Never. She’s sick. Must be fired. What a joke,” Whitlock posted.
“Wait. This is SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM’S coach? Defending the player who clotheslined her? What the [expletive]. This league is just a bad comedy movie. Blow it up and start over,” Radio Show host Gerry Callahan wrote.
“Fire this coach asap,” another user remarked.
“For a coach to so openly disregard her own players’ safety is absolute insanity. Stephanie White is an embarrassment,” another user chimed in.
Carrington, meanwhile, headed to the locker room and escalated the situation by posting the phrase “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and directly tagging the official Fever account.
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While the post was later deleted, the remark only served to fuel the ongoing controversies surrounding Cunningham and the Fever.
Indiana, however, has little time to address the friction or noise, as it hosts the New York Liberty on Tuesday night after snapping its two-game losing streak.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
