Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White blasted WNBA officiating after Caitlin Clark suffered two incidents White called “cheap shots” in the Fever’s 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t mince words after Wednesday night’s 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury—especially when it came to how Caitlin Clark was treated.
Clark exited the game in the third quarter with back issues, but White’s anger was already boiling over from what she called two “cheap shots” involving the WNBA’s biggest star.
In the second quarter, Clark went down while dribbling through the paint. Alyssa Thomas came down on top of her and put her fist on Clark’s throat. Thomas then stepped over Clark as she tried to get back into the action.
Moments later, Clark was again targeted—this time on a three-point attempt. Valeriane Ayayi closed the space and forced Clark to land on the Mercury defender’s foot.
Clark still finished with 19 points and eight assists for the Fever before ultimately leaving the game.
After the loss, White took aim directly at the officiating. She said, “We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called. And I just say again — absolutely unacceptable.”
White also called the lack of whistle “egregious and utterly disrespectful,” adding, “She is not called the same way as everybody else is called.”
Then came the line that landed hardest: “The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
The game ended close—Phoenix holding on 111-109—but the bigger takeaway from White’s postgame remarks was unmistakable. Clark’s night may have ended early because of her back, yet White insisted the officiating failure felt like the real rupture.
Caitlin Clark Stephanie White Indiana Fever Phoenix Mercury Alyssa Thomas Valeriane Ayayi WNBA referees back issues 111-109 loss social media
Refs always doing the most. If it’s not called then it is what it is.
So Thomas straight up put her fist on Clark’s throat?? Like cmon that’s insane. And then no whistle?? That feels like favoritism.
I kinda think the back issues were why she left, not the “cheap shots” like they’re saying. But the wording in that quote is wild, throat fist?? That’s gonna get everyone mad even if it was kinda accidental or whatever.
Okay but why does every game turn into “generational talent” talk, like get over it. If the fist thing happened then yeah that’s dangerous, but refs miss calls all the time. Also Ayayi stepped in and forced her foot—could’ve been the defender’s fault too? Either way, 111-109 close games always means someone’s mad after. Social media gonna eat this up all night.