ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has publicly criticized Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, particularly regarding her response to a hard foul by DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham. The controversy has escalated to the point where fans booed White during a recent home game.
During a broadcast, Smith voiced his strong disapproval, highlighting the unusual situation of a home crowd booing their own coach. "There are folks in Indiana at a home game BOOING YOU! You ain’t the road team. You’re the home team… and they’re booing you!" he exclaimed.
White has faced scrutiny following Carrington's flagrant 2 foul on Cunningham. Initially, White praised Carrington's tenacity, describing her as a player who "will play her butt off" and stating she did not believe Carrington intentionally targeted Cunningham's neck. White, who coached Carrington previously with the Connecticut Sun, said she thought the foul call was correct but did not condone the intent.
These comments drew immediate backlash, with some interpreting them as a lack of full support for her own player. In response, White issued a statement defending her position, explaining that she did not see the foul in real-time during the game and only reviewed it later on replay. She emphasized her commitment to her players, stating, "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."
Smith, however, remained unconvinced by White's explanation, questioning how a head coach could miss a significant play during a game. "How are you the head coach … and you didn’t see the play? … It’s your job to … watch the game. How did you not see the play?" he asked.
Despite the boos, Cunningham and Fever star Caitlin Clark have publicly supported their coach. Cunningham stated she knows "Coach loves them" and dismissed the drama as external noise, while Clark expressed that the boos in their home arena made her "a little sick."