The Indiana Fever's home crowd turned hostile on Tuesday night, but not toward the visiting New York Liberty. Instead, the boos rained down on their own head coach, Stephanie White, before tip-off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The tension stems from White's reaction to a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham during last weekend's matchup against the Chicago Sky. DiJonai Carrington caught Cunningham across the neck on a drive to the basket, and while the officials called a flagrant foul, White's postgame comments didn't sit well with a fan base that expected more fire.
“Yeah, I mean, look, it was a hard foul. I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did. But it did happen and I thought it was the right call,” White told reporters. “She’s going to compete, no one’s going to walk in for an easy layup, so I don’t oppose the hard foul.”
Those words were enough to spark a chorus of disapproval from Fever supporters, who felt White should have had Cunningham's back more forcefully. The boos were audible as White took the floor, a rare display of discontent for a coach whose team sits firmly in playoff contention.
But White wasn't about to let the negativity slide. After the Fever rolled to a 106-92 victory over the Liberty, she delivered a pointed message to her critics.
“The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league will not win,” White said. “We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided. 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. Everybody else can go to hell.”
The outburst came on the heels of a week that has seen the WNBA embroiled in off-court drama, including Carrington's controversial social media posts and the fallout from her ejection. White's fiery defense of her team echoes the support she's received from the Fever's front office amid the scrutiny.
Whether the booing will continue remains to be seen. The Fever host the Dallas Wings on Friday, and all eyes will be on the crowd's reaction to their embattled coach. If Tuesday is any indication, White isn't backing down, and neither are the fans who want to see more passion from the sideline.
