The Indiana Fever are the team in the WNBA. Led by stars Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark, the Fever have become the team to watch in the WNBA. With Sophie Cunningham’s recent polarizing remarks about trans players, they have had even more attention recently.
That has landed Fever coach Stephanie White in the crosshairs.
Kelsey Mitchell Defends Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White
On Saturday, during the Fever’s victory over the Chicago Sky, Cunningham received a hard foul from Dijonai Carrington and got up to defend herself. The two were separated, and postgame comments have sparked continued discussion and backlash, with many attacking Carrington despite Cunningham having committed similar fouls during her career.
White was criticized for doing more to defend Cunningham, with some blaming political allegiance.
Before Tuesday’s victory over the New York Liberty, White delivered a fiery statement, saying she thought it was the right call and that she was glad Cunningham was okay.
“Was it egregious? Absolutely,” White explained. “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 100% always have my players’ backs. I ride with them 10 toes down all the time. All the time. They know that. It’s a shame that we can’t have an opportunity to talk about what great basketball they’re playing. Because they are [expletive] playing.
“The reality is, with me, I will always lead with love. I will always lead with grace. I will always lead with humility and I will always lead with integrity. Doesn’t mean I’ll always get it right. I’m also human. The hate, the fear mongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league will not win,” the coach said.
“It won’t win. We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided. Every day, these women put their ass 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 [expletive],” White also added.
This led to the Fever fans booing White during the game. Mitchell was asked about her reaction to the boos and what White means to her.
“It kind of threw me for a loop too,” Mitchell said. “I told her to her face, I said ‘coach, this is for you in terms of just a sense of confidence, a sense of awareness that you’re not alone.”
Mitchell isn’t going to leave her coach hanging.
“If anybody know me, I don’t play that,” Mitchell explained. “So, it really hurt my feelings to see her kind of have emotions in terms of not feeling valued, not feeling wanted in a place where she has to coach. This is her job, she has to show up too and I think people don’t really recognize that. I think it’s our job to remind her, it’s our culture, our culture is not gonna let her fall to the wayside.”
Controversies like this continue to plague the WNBA even as its popularity and product seem to be at an all-time high. Plus, there are issues that can be easily avoided and currently have no on-court effect on the league at all; they are instead politically motivated.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.