‘That Made Me a Little Sick’ — Caitlin Clark Draws Line in the Sand As Fever Fans Rain Down Boos on HC Stephanie White
· Yahoo Sports
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever walked into Tuesday’s highly anticipated matchup against the New York Liberty with more than just a tough opponent waiting for them.
Head coach Stephanie White had become the center of a heated conversation when some prominent Fever supporters called for her dismissal for her comments after Sophie Cunningham received a flagrant foul from the Chicago Sky’s DiJonai Carrington on Saturday.
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White pushed back at those critics before the game, and by the time she was introduced at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the tension was impossible to miss. After Indiana’s dominant 106-92 victory, Clark made it clear where she stood.
Caitlin Clark Defends Stephanie White After Fever Fans Boo Head Coach in Tense Moment
The pressure on White had been building for days. On Sunday, Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith urged the Fever “to let Stephanie White go.” The lawmaker claimed White had taken “the side of the opposing team’s player who committed a flagrant foul” on Cunningham.
A day later, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy doubled down on Beckwith’s call. Portnoy argued that White needed to defend her players and, if she could not, should “get lost.”
White addressed the criticism head-on Tuesday.
“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. I take personally any suggestions that I don’t a 100% always have my players’ back. I ride with them 10 toes down all the time, all the time! They know that,” White said.
Her comments did little to quiet the noise inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse as some fans booed when White was introduced before the game.
Clark was asked about the moment afterward.
“I hated that our fans booed her before the game. That made me a little sick, to be honest. We’re going to ride for her, and we’re always going to have her back,” Clark said.
The message was difficult to miss. While White had spent her pregame press conference defending her relationship with the Fever players, Clark publicly reinforced that connection after the final buzzer.
She also backed it up on the court.
Clark came out firing, scoring 18 points in the first half as Indiana raced to a 64-46 lead. She finished with 22 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds, completing her WNBA-record ninth game with at least 20 points and 10 assists.
For all the noise surrounding White, Clark’s response offered the clearest signal yet from inside the Fever locker room. The boos may have made headlines, but the franchise star’s words and her performance left little doubt about where she stands with her coach.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.