Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White surprised many by defending Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington. During Saturday’s game, Carrington picked up a flagrant 2 and was ejected after a hard foul on Fever’s Sophie Cunningham. White’s response didn’t please many, including Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, who called for her firing.
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Following the criticism, during the team’s practice on August 10, White spoke to reporters, addressing how the team has handled the noise surrounding them, not just after the Carrington-Cunningham incident but for every controversy throughout the season.
“I hope that the biggest thing that we learn is how to be responsive instead of reactive in certain situations. I think it’s really easy, and especially for young people or for those who aren’t in it every day, to react to everything that happens,” White told reporters in a clip shared by WISH-TV News on X.
“I think our group does a really good job of pouring into one another, of keeping the main thing the main thing, of understanding that there are a lot of folks out there who want to divide us, that there are a lot of folks out there who want to create more challenges for us.”
White, who had coached Carrington during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, spoke favorably of her competitiveness.
“One of the things about Nai is that she’s gonna play her butt off, man. She’s gonna compete. Nobody’s gonna go walking in for a layup. And so I don’t oppose the hard foul. But I also don’t think that she intentionally went for the neck.”
While Beckwith equated the statement to “terrible coaching,” Stephanie White revealed that she and the team have not let the noise divide them in the locker room.
“We do a really good job of keeping that outside the locker room and pulling for one another. I mean, you guys see it. The vibes are always pretty good in here. I’m proud of them for that. And I think outside of even just the sport and outside of the job, it serves great life lessons for us as well,” added White.
This was evident when Caitlin Clark, despite refusing to comment on Sophie Cunningham’s take on trans athletes competing in women’s sports, mentioned the unity inside the Fever locker room.
“I think, for us, it’s not really a discussion we really have in our locker room. I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but our focus is on basketball,” Clark told reporters when reporters asked her to clarify her stance on the issue following their loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
So, from Alyssa Thomas’ flagrant 2 on Caitlin Clark on June 24 to DiJonai Carrington’s flagrant 2 on Sophie Cunningham, the Indiana Fever squad continues to see their fair share of controversial moments, but as per Stephanie White, none of it has affected the squad and their goal of winning the title.
Now, after weeks of scrutiny, this may be the clearest message Stephanie White has delivered this season.