The Caitlin Clark-Stephanie White narrative is not ending anytime soon. After Clark drained the game-winner against the Washington Mystics, some fans noticed the celebration from coach Stephanie White, or the lack thereof. However, their intense visibility might be a factor that could be aggravating the perceived friction in the locker room.
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The Fever are comfortably the most popular team in the WNBA and enjoy high viewership. But in a twisted way, it might be hurting the team, according to Terrika Foster Brasby.
“This is a team that has all 44 of their games in the national spotlight,” Brasby said on Yahoo Sports Daily. “No other team has that. To me, that’s a big deal. Not necessarily because their games are nationally televised, but because teams are going to make mistakes.”
To put things into perspective, 44 national TV games is the most in the franchise’s history. It is also the highest for any team in league history. In fact, Indiana is the only team this season to have all of their games on national television. So, it goes without saying that they have a lot of eyes on them.
“Teams go through growing pains,” Brasby added. “When you’ve got every game nationally televised, you’ve now put every single moment in the national spotlight. You’re now open—and again, this isn’t the team’s fault—but you’re now open for criticism on even the microscopic level. Now, you don’t get to make mistakes with just you and your team. You’re making mistakes in front of the world.”
Increased visibility has elevated the brand value of the Fever squad. Their viewership is often in the millions and sets records. By comparison, the non-Fever games on Ion averaged 505,000 last year. And the fact that Fever games are nationally televised plays a part in this disparity. But it means that when things are not going that well, there is more criticism for Indiana.
Here’s the thing: The cold celebration between Clark and White after defeating the Mystics would not have been noticed if it were any other team.
That said, some rumours suggested that coach Stephanie White was going to be fired, which were quickly shut down.
And even though Caitlin Clark knows that such speculations are baseless and is used to it at this point, it impacts the atmosphere around the team. Currently, every very rotation, play call, and adjustment involving Clark has been dissected by fans this season. But Stephanie White is having none of it.
Stephanie White in hot water after disregarding fans’ wishes regarding Caitlin Clark
The fans have been criticizing Stephanie White ever since the season began. They want Caitlin Clark on the ball more, and White is moving in the opposite direction. She is experimenting with Clark off-ball. However, White is not bothered by the masses.
“I don’t know that I really have an answer for the fans. I have to answer to our team and our franchise. We’re trying to win ball games. We’re not trying to appease the masses,” she told reporter Christine Brennan.
Caitlin Clark herself has been supportive of White and the ‘off-ball’ experiment.
“I ride for her,” she said earlier this month.
But this doesn’t really satisfy the fans who want more for their favorite player. Clark has played as a ball-heavy guard throughout her Iowa career and her rookie season while thriving in that role. That is the primary reason why the fans are opposing this change.
White reasoned that the big 3 is still developing their chemistry after an injury-prone season for Clark last year. She further emphasized getting the best shot possible for the team and having the franchise prepared for the playoffs.
So far, it has been better with Clark on the ball. Eventually, White will need to find the sweet spot that works best for Clark and the entire team.
