"I did just get fined": Stephanie White reveals getting punished by WNBA for fiery outburst on disrespect toward Caitlin Clark's Fever

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White revealed Wednesday that she had been fined over recent comments criticizing officiating. The remarks were apparently made after the Fever’s Saturday loss to the New York Liberty, where Caitlin Clark lost the ball to Natasha Cloud on the game’s final play.

Following Indiana’s 83-77 defeat to the Washington Mystics — their first game without Clark since her left quadriceps injury was announced — White acknowledged the fine during her postgame media availability.

Chloe Peterson of IndyStar posted White’s quote on X (formerly Twitter):

“Do you want me to get fined again? Because I did just get fined.”

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After the Liberty game, White had voiced her frustration with what she felt was a troubling pattern in officiating decisions.

“I thought (Clark) got fouled,” White said (per Indy Star). “I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy (over three games).

“I might be able to understand that if we’re chucking 3s, but we’re not. We’re attacking the rim. The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways, but we can’t allow that to consume us.”

With the loss against the Mystics, the Fever dropped to 2-3 on the season.

Fever coach Stephanie White pushes for consistent officiating

Speaking after Indiana's loss to the Mystics, Stephanie White stressed the need for fairness in how physical play is called, especially near the basket.

“Consistency with how we call the game, protecting,” she said. “We've made a real point to protect airborne shooters on the perimeter. I don't think we do as good of a job at that near the rim.

“Are we going to say that we want a free-flowing offensive game, or are we going to have tough, grind-out physical games? Whatever way it is, the players will adjust, and the coaches will adjust.”

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READ: 3 glaring issues facing Indiana Fever exposed by Washington Mystics in Caitlin Clark's absence

Despite ranking fourth in the WNBA in free throw attempts (21.6 per game), the Fever are currently second-to-last in free throw percentage at 67.6% over their first five games.

Clark will be sidelined for at least two weeks, with their next matchups featuring the Connecticut Sun, a rematch against the Mystics, as well as showdowns with the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro