Stephanie White Sends Clear Message to Indiana Fever After Ugly Loss to Mercury originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever’s hot streak is officially over. After suffering their first defeat in six games on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Sparks, Indiana lost again on Thursday as they fell to the Phoenix Mercury in embarrassing fashion, 95-60.
All the momentum the Fever were able to build up of late has now come crashing down as they end their four-game road trip on a very sour note.
Indiana head coach Stephanie White, however, remains fully confident in her team. Following Thursday’s deflating loss, the veteran coach sent a clear message to her players in the aftermath of one of their worst defeats of the season.
“I’m proud of this group,” she said in her postgame press conference. “We continued to fight. It wasn’t pretty.
Advertisement
“Sometimes you have these games. But we continue to fight, we continue to play hard. We continue to stay together.”
White was then asked about how she intends to address the morale on the squad following such a tough loss as they prepare for Saturday’s rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. The first-year Fever coach took the opportunity to express how proud she is of her squad.
“We talk about it,” White said. “Just staying together. … Look, there are going to be days when you don’t make shots. There are going to be days where you feel like you’re stuck in mud. We’re not immune to that, like any other team. But it’s about the bigger picture of how we respond to that.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White had some high praise for her players after Thursday’s loss to the Phoenix Mercury.© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“This group was still tight in our huddles. This group was still engaged in timeouts. This group was still going out and executing on both ends, and that’s what it’s about. This is a group that’s been through a lot this entire season.
Advertisement
“We love each other. We pull for each other. I think in moments like this, you continue to see that, and to me, that is one of the things I’m proudest of with this group.”
According to White, these types of situations present an opportunity for players to show their true character. She has been with this team long enough to determine what type of individuals comprise the group, and White is confident that these kinds of tests are only going to make them better in the long run.
Related: Sophie Cunningham Got Into It With Former Indiana Fever Teammate on Thursday
Related: Concerning Update Emerges on Caitlin Clark’s Injury Recovery
Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Did Not Hesitate Naming Indiana’s Underappreciated Player
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
