Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham addressed a viral pre-game rant by their head coach after the Indiana Fever’s 106-92 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday.
Fever coach Stephanie White dedicated her entire pre-game media availability to delivering a rant in defense of herself after she faced criticism for her response on Saturday to an incident when Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington smacked Cunningham in the face.
White initially told reporters Saturday that she didn’t believe the hit was intentional, before declaring Tuesday that after watching footage, she believed the hit was “egregious.”
Cunningham showed support for White after Tuesday’s win.
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“There’s just been a lot of outside noise,” Cunningham said. “But our locker room is good.”
“Our locker room in there, it’s tight, and we have each other’s backs,” she said. “Coach loves us.”
Cunningham even defended White’s first comments about the foul. White had praised Carrington’s competitive nature after the game while agreeing with the officials’ decision to eject her. Cunningham said White lacked a full view of the play when she spoke.
“She didn’t see the clip,” Cunningham said. “At the end of the day, she didn’t see the clip.”
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White said Tuesday of the hit, “I didn’t see the play in real time. I went straight to a press conference. I thought the play got called right. Thankfully, Sophie’s okay. Was it egregious? Absolutely. When you have a chance to watch that over and over and over on replay, you can see that. I didn’t have that in real time.”
Cunningham noted that White coached Carrington for two seasons with the Connecticut Sun. She said White could recognize Carrington’s ability and still support her own player. Cunningham did not view White’s comments as a betrayal.
“She is a hell of a player. She’s a great defender,” Cunningham said of Carrington. “Give her her flowers, and she didn’t see it. And that’s OK.”
Cunningham then removed any doubt about her relationship with White.
“Me and Steph are great,” she said. “Steph is great with all of us.”
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Cunningham then shifted attention back to basketball. She said she no longer worried about the outside reaction.
“I really don’t care anymore,” Cunningham said. “I’m trying to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Cunningham said the Fever shared the ball, defended well and found their joy again.
“With everything going on, that’s kind of been hard to do,” Cunningham said. “Tonight was the night that we all just, like, clicked, and we had fun, and we did it for Steph, and we did it for everyone in the locker room.”
Clark offered a more personal defense. She spoke with White earlier that day and understood the toll of constant criticism.
“I think we forget a lot of times, like, we’re human and she has feelings,” Clark said. “There’s moments that are really hard.”
Clark drew from her own experience under intense scrutiny. She told White that even thick skin has limits.
“I’ve been through the same thing,” Clark said. “There’s been days where I’ve been really upset, and you can have the thickest skin in the world, but sometimes it does get to you.”
Clark also criticized the broader climate around the team and the league. She said too many people look for conflict instead of celebrating success.
“Our world is just like, we love to hate. We love to divide,” Clark said. “Nobody wants to see each other succeed.”
Clark called that painful to watch. She said, “We need to do a better job at uplifting each other.”
Clark said that she told White that the Fever would deliver a win for her on Tuesday.
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“I can assure you there was no way we were losing this game tonight,” Clark said. “And I told her that before the game. Like, there was no way we were losing this game for her.”
Clark also addressed the boos White heard during pregame introductions. She accepted that fans can criticize a coach but found the reaction difficult to hear.
“I hated that our fans booed her before the game,” Clark said. “That made me a little sick, to be honest.”
Clark said disagreement would not change the players’ loyalty. She called White their head coach and said the Fever would protect the unity they had built.
“We’re going to ride for her, and we’re always going to have her back,” Clark said. “That’s never going to tear our locker room apart.”
She closed by expressing affection for White and pride in the Fever’s response. Clark said the team played with energy, shared the ball and competed with smiles on their faces.
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“I just love her, and I feel for her because I know it can be a lot at times,” Clark said. “We really just did it for her, and we did it for each other and the girls in our locker room.”
White’s pregame rant on Tuesday also made reference to “hate” and “divisive” forces, without referencing anyone directly, that are apparently trying to “hijack” the league.
“The hate, the fear-mongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league will not win. It won’t win. We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided,” White said.
“Every day, these women put their a** 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.”
The WNBA has been at the center of a national controversy for months now, with the Fever being a recurring constant in that controversy. It started when Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas punched Clark in the throat. It escalated when Cunningham’s stance on protecting women’s sports was revealed and prompted a national debate on the issue with White and other coaches being mocked for their answers on the issue.
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It boiled over on Saturday after Carrington struck Cunningham and then wrote “White privilege” on Threads right after being ejected.
Now, White will try to lead the Fever through that controversy all the way to the playoffs, as the Fever are one of the hottest teams in the league and are in the driver’s seat to clinch the top seed in the East.