RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Caitlin Clark defends Fever coach Stephanie White after hearing boos from fans: ‘That made me a little sick’ originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Fever coach Stephanie White insisted in a pregame rant on Tuesday that her team was above the outside noise that has surrounded the franchise and the WNBA in recent weeks.
"We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided," she told reporters in an impassioned monologue.
Just days earlier, however, she found herself under fire for what some fans saw as a lack of support for Sophie Cunningham after Cunningham took a hard foul from DiJonai Carrington. The backlash included Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith calling for White's job .
When Fever fans showered White with boos during pregame introductions on Tuesday, Caitlin Clark was among those who thought the backlash had gotten out of control.
Here's a look at Clark's defense of her coach.
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Caitlin Clark defends Fever coach Stephanie White
After a 106-92 win over the Liberty, Clark expressed her disappointment that White was booed by Fever fans.
"I hated that our fans booed her before the game. That made me a little sick, to be honest," Clark told reporters. "We're going to ride for her, and we're always going to have her back."
“There was no way we were losing this game for [Stephanie White]. … I hated that our fans booed her before the game. That made me a little sick, to be honest.” Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever ’s motivation heading into tonight’s game against the Liberty. pic.twitter.com/NlIR1Umxkz
— espnW (@espnW) August 12, 2026 Boos rained down for White during pregame introductions, following a controversial response to a hard foul committed against Cunningham in Indiana's previous game. The Fever were able to put the negativity behind them, though, winning comfortably over a talented Liberty team and moving back into sole possession of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Here's more to know about the controversy involving White.
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Why did Fever fans boo Stephanie White?
After Saturday's Fever win over the Sky, White received heavy backlash for what many fans saw as a defense of Carrington after she committed a Flagrant 2 foul with a hit to Cunningham's head and neck.
"She’s gonna play her butt off, she's gonna compete. Nobody's gonna go walking in for a layup," White said of Carrington. "I don’t oppose the hard foul, but I also don’t think she intentionally went for the neck."
The comments struck a much different tone than Cunningham, who believed Carrington fouled her "because she wants attention," and White's reaction even got the attention of Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who publicly called for her to be fired.
"No solid coach would ever take the side of the opposing team’s player who committed a flagrant foul on one of your own players," Beckwith tweeted Sunday. "Terrible coaching!"
Winning cures everything, and the Fever have now won back-to-back games. White insisted that nothing will distract her team, and Indiana has a chance to keep proving that against Paige Bueckers and the Wings and Angel Reese and the Dream this week.
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