This year has been a tough one for Stephanie White, as she’s had to be extra careful with both her actions and her words. In May, she was fined for comments about officiating following the 90-88 loss to the Liberty. When asked about officiating in the next game, she quipped, “Do you want me to get fined again? Because I did just get fined.” Yet, not much has changed. She’s been fined once more by the league. This time, however, she isn’t facing the league alone

She joined both Hammon and Reeve in the line. So, it all came up in a series of sequences. At first, White was asked about Cheryl Reeve’s suspension from Game 4 due to her outburst about officiating. Staying true to her nature, Indy’s HC backed her up. “I think that she made a lot of valid points…A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. It’s happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player. And I think at some point there has to be some accountability….Every part of our league has gotten better, and that part has lagged behind, for whatever reason,” White shared in the postgame press conference.

And honestly, her comments made sense too, as every other game is criticized for bad officiating. Her star player, Sophie Cunningham, has been fined twice, while CC received it once. But it’s not just White, as Becky Hammon was on board too. “From what I heard, she did not tell a lie. She said the truth,” admitted Hammon .

Now, their remarks did get the league’s attention, though not in the way they had hoped. As a result, both White and Hammon were fined $1,000 each for criticizing officiating. Reeve, however, had to pay the biggest cost.

Reeve paid the highest fine: $15,000. Can you imagine? Her team was already eliminated from the semis of the playoffs despite being in a top position throughout the season. She was ejected from Game 3 after Napheesa Collier was hurt on a steal, and no foul was called.

“The officiating crew that we had for tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinal-playoff worthy is f—ing malpractice. I can take an L with the best of them…‘It wasn’t my call, I don’t know, I didn’t see it that way.’ They’re f—— awful,” she added before getting suspended for Game 4 due to these comments. And now, the winningest coach in W’s history is facing an additional fine of $15,000.

This was the first time in the league’s history that a coach had been suspended from a playoff game and when you add the fine on top of that, it’s easy to guess that the fans weren’t thrilled.

Fans join coaches, too!

As fans got wind of head coaches being fined for calling out refs, they dived into the comment sections, and the frustration was pretty clear.

“Meanwhile league claims a loss of $400 million since the W inception (29 years) but made $425 million last year in revenue & expansion fees. Will collect $750 million in fees this year. New media deal estimated to bring $200 million each year. But they can’t afford good refs,” said one user.

Yes, the WNBA has reported cumulative losses of nearly $400 million since its inception 29 years ago. Last year alone, the league faced a $40 million loss, even as it generated a record $200 million in revenue. Despite these challenges, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert oversaw league growth by adding three new teams, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, each paying a $250 million expansion fee, totaling $750 million. Yet, amid all this progress, officiating remained the season’s most debated topic.

As a user put it better: “Use the money to hire better refs.” Just two months ago, a game between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun showcased intense physicality, resulting in five technical fouls. Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon, then shoved to the ground by Marina Mabrey. Later, Sophie Cunningham grabbed Sheldon by the neck, adding to the chaos. Both Indiana and Connecticut’s coaches publicly criticized the officials for letting the game spiral out of control. Yet, true to form, the league remained silent.

“When the officials don’t get control of the ballgame, when they allow that stuff to happen, and it’s been happening all season long,” Stephanie White said back then. “You’ve got competitive women who are the best in the world at what they do, and when you allow them to play physical, and you allow these things to happen, they’re going to compete, and they’re going to have their teammates’ backs.”

The only statement the league released this time is this- “Her conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a post-game press conference.”

“And yet nothing is done to address player safety and better officiating, more games and fewer days, no increase in roster,” penned another user. Well, yes, the league expanded its schedule to 44 games per team, up from 36, aiming to increase visibility and meet growing fan demand. However, this led to concerns about player safety and well-being. So, with the tighter schedule Cathy Engelbert dreamed of, better officiating was a non-negotiable to avoid injuries. Yet, till now, more than 250 players have been injured and more than 980 games have been missed.

There’s not a silver lining in view for the players.

“$15,000?!?!? That’s crazy. What is her salary?” penned another user. A genuine question. $15,000 is a lot of money, but for Reeve, it’s 2.1% of her annual salary. As of now, Reeve is the third-highest-paid coach in the league, earning $700,000 per annum in 2025. Her compensation includes both her role as head coach for the Lynx and as HC for Team USA Basketball. So, while it’s a lot, it’s not really for Reeve.

“Why were Becky and Steph fined more than the coaches that were involved on the sidelines? This league will never grow if refs and the leadership can’t take valid criticism,” penned another user.

Following the Minnesota Lynx’s Game 3 loss, assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson each received a $500 fine from the league. Thibault’s fine was due to an inappropriate interaction with an official on the court, while Brunson was penalized for an inappropriate social media comment directed at WNBA officials. So, yes, the concerns penned by this fan are understandable.