INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White has had enough of the conversations around the WNBA this season that aren’t about basketball.
On Tuesday, she finally lashed out.
The 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and one of the original Fever players angrily defended herself after she was criticized for her response to , and pleaded with people to focus on the sport and not the continual sideshows.
鈥淭he hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness that鈥檚 trying to hijack our league will not win. It won鈥檛 win,鈥� White said, her voice rising as she pounded the table in front of her. 鈥淲e 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.鈥�
White left immediately after her 2 1/2-minute outburst ended without taking questions.
Indiana responded with one of its best halves of the season, shooting 59% from the field and 79% on 3-pointers on its way to a 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty. The Fever have won seven of their last nine despite being the focal point of so many controversies.
Fever All-Star Caitlin Clark wasn’t surprised by how the Fever played or White’s pregame reaction. She was more upset by the boos she heard during White’s pregame introduction.
鈥淚 talked to Steph earlier in the day and you know I think we forget a lot of times, like, we’re humans and she has feelings and there are moments that are really hard and sometimes that’s the job we sign up for,” Clark said. 鈥淎t the same time, it’s OK to feel those emotions and I told her I’ve been through the same thing.鈥�
Clark added: “There was like no way we were losing this game. Like, that鈥檚 my head coach. Like, I hated that our fans booed her before the game. That made me a little sick to be honest.鈥�
Carrington hit Cunningham in the head and neck area Saturday, knocking the Fever guard hard to the ground on a breakaway layup. Cunningham got up and charged toward Carrington but was restrained.
Carrington was assessed a Flagrant 2, an automatic ejection. The Chicago Sky player then wrote 鈥淲HITE PRIVILEGE鈥� and tagged the Fever on a social media account. On Monday, Carrington said she never claimed the foul call was 鈥渨hite privilege.鈥�
Cunningham has been outspoken about her desire to keep transgender women out of women’s sports, a position that has spurred rallies in support of and opposed to her stance.
White initially said she thought the refs got the call right but that she didn’t think that action near the head and neck area was intentional. Critics claimed she was defending Carrington.
“OK… The Indiana Fever need to let Stephanie White go,鈥� Indiana Lieutenant Gov. Micah Beckwith wrote Sunday on X. 鈥淣o solid coach would ever take the side of the opposing team鈥檚 player who committed a flagrant foul on one of your own players. Terrible coaching! The Fever need to defend their players.鈥�
White explained Tuesday that she had not seen the replay when she first spoke with reporters Saturday and that she changed her opinion after watching it again. She called the foul 鈥渆gregious.鈥�
鈥淥ur players’ success, our players’ health and wellness, our players’ safety is always a top priority,鈥� she began, her voice rising. 鈥淥ne of the things I pride myself on is my relationships with my players. For those who have anything to say about the play in the last game, I didn鈥檛 see the replay. I went straight to a press conference, I thought the play got called right. Thankfully, Sophie is OK. Was it egregious? Absolutely.
“When you get a chance to see that on replay over and over, you see that. I didn鈥檛 see that in real time. I personally take any suggestions that I don鈥檛 100% always have my players back. I ride with them 10 toes down all the time, all the time.鈥�
Cunningham received a loud ovation when she entered Tuesday’s game. She and White hugged after the game.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 just been a lot of outside noise but our locker room is good,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淲e have each other鈥檚 backs. Coach loves us. So give her her flowers. She didn鈥檛 see the clip and that鈥檚 OK. Me and Steph are great, and Steph is great with all of us.鈥�
White faced a similar controversy when Clark also was fouled hard earlier this season, prompting a letter from the U.S. House of Representatives to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
White and Clark also were involved in a sideline spat in late and there was speculation about White’s job status following the incident.
Now White just wants everyone to get back to basketball.
鈥淚t’s a shame we can’t have an opportunity to talk about what great basketball they are playing,鈥� White said with emphasis. 鈥淭he reality is, with me, I will always lead with love. I will always lead with grace, I will always lead with humility. and I will always lead with integrity. It doesn’t mean I’ll always get it right. I’m human.鈥�
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