Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed public criticism regarding the team's response to a flagrant foul committed by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham. During a press conference ahead of the Fever's game against the New York Liberty, White defended her coaching philosophy and player support, stating that her players' health and safety are always a top priority.
"This isn't necessarily for those people that are in this room. This is more for an online community that's trying to create narratives that simply don't exist. Trying to create a fabrication or distortion of who I am, of what I'm about," White said. "Our players' success, our players' health and wellness, our players' safety is always a top priority for me. One of the things I pride myself on is my relationships with players."
White acknowledged that she did not see the play in real-time, which contributed to her initial silence. "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," she explained.
Despite the explanation, White emphasized her unwavering support for her team. "I take personally any suggestions that I don't 100% always have my players' back. I ride with them 10 toes down all the time, all of the time. They know that," she stated. "It's a shame that we can't have an opportunity to talk about what great basketball they're playing because they are f***ing playing."
White framed the surrounding discourse as an attempt to divide the league, asserting that negativity would not prevail. "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," she declared. "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."
Following White's remarks, Fever president Kelly Krauskopf issued a statement backing the coach. "Coach White has done a tremendous job leading the Fever and for the second-consecutive season, has us in great position for a playoff push. She has kept our team focused and united, all while under the brightest spotlight our team and our league have ever experienced. She has the full support of leadership," the statement read.