Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith has called for the Indiana Fever to fire head coach Stephanie White. Beckwith’s demand follows White’s post-game comments defending Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington, who committed a flagrant 2 foul on Fever player Sophie Cunningham during a recent game.
During the first quarter of the game, Carrington struck Cunningham in the head and neck area as Cunningham attempted a layup. Carrington was ejected from the game following the incident. Both Cunningham and her teammate Caitlin Clark were seen waving as Carrington departed.
Following her ejection, Carrington posted on social media, “WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever.” Cunningham later responded to Carrington’s claim, stating that the incident had nothing to do with race and that a similar foul she committed last year resulted in her own ejection.
Despite the severity of the foul and Carrington’s subsequent social media post, White, who previously coached Carrington for two years with the Connecticut Sun, defended the Sky player in her post-game press conference. White stated, “One of the things about ‘Nai is she’s going to play her butt off, man. She’s gonna compete, no one’s gonna go walking in for a easy layup, so I don’t oppose the hard foul. But I also don’t think she intentionally went for the neck.”
Beckwith, a Republican, took to social media on Sunday night to express his disapproval of White's comments. "Ok… The Indiana Fever need to let Stephanie White go," Beckwith posted. "No solid coach would ever take the side of the opposing team’s player who committed a flagrant foul on one of your own players. Terrible coaching! The Fever need to defend their players."
Internet reactions to White's response were largely critical, with some users calling for her dismissal. Commentator Jason Whitlock also weighed in, stating, “I will never utter a word in Stephanie White’s defense again. Never. She’s sick. Must be fired. What a joke.”
Carrington continued to fuel the tension by posting about the next Fever-Sky game scheduled for August 23. The Fever ultimately won the game where the foul occurred, with a final score of 90-86.