The Indiana Fever dropped a heartbreaker Friday night, falling 104-102 in overtime to the Washington Mystics. But the real drama wasn't just on the court—it boiled over in the postgame press conference, where head coach Stephanie White found herself at the center of a social media firestorm.
Caitlin Clark was nothing short of brilliant. The rookie sensation poured in 32 points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed four rebounds, shooting 7-of-17 from three-point range in a performance that reminded everyone why she's the face of the league. After struggling from deep early this season, Clark finally found her rhythm, and she knew it.
“I felt like I could have made another, like, five,” Clark said after the game. “They’re all right there, and obviously it was great to break through and get some to go down. That’s the hardest thing as a basketball player, when you’re not making shots, to really stay in it. So I’m certainly proud of myself — really, really battled. And a lot of those shots are very, very makeable.”
When a reporter asked White about Clark's explosive fourth quarter—she scored 17 points in the period alone—the coach's response raised eyebrows. Instead of singling out Clark's heroics, White pivoted to the group effort.
“I thought our whole group showed resilience, in that rally we showed the ability to make tough shots,” White said.
The comment didn't sit well with Fever fans. Social media lit up with accusations that White was deliberately downplaying Clark's contributions.
“She tryna answer like Greg Popovich but coaches like Doc Rivers,” one fan posted.
“Yep this shows why SW is not the coach for CC. She doesn’t want her to shine,” another argued.
The backlash comes amid a season of frustration for Clark with WNBA officiating, and some fans believe the tension in the locker room is palpable. Others pointed to White's body language during the presser, with one fan declaring, “Stephanie looks like she’s been crying too… this franchise and coach are a joke.”
It's not the first time this season that Clark's relationship with the coaching staff has become a talking point. Earlier, Fever fans were furious after a radio host declared Clark's WNBA run finished. Now, the narrative has shifted to whether White is fully backing her star player.
With the loss, Indiana falls to 1-2 on the season. The Fever have little time to regroup, facing the Seattle Storm on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. If White wants to quiet the critics, a win—and perhaps a little more praise for her leading scorer—would go a long way.
