Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White delivered an impassioned 150-second pregame address on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, vigorously defending her team against online criticism. Star guard Caitlin Clark and forward Sophie Cunningham later rallied around their coach, condemning the surrounding negativity as the team secured a 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty.
ステファニー・ホワイト氏のプレゲーム会見とオンライン批判への反発
この異例のプレゲーム会見は、前週のシカゴ・スカイ戦におけるディジョナイ・キャリントン（DiJonai Carrington）選手によるソフィー・カニンガム（Sophie Cunningham）選手へのファウルをめぐる騒動が発端となった。
Stephanie White Pregame Address at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
White entered the Collins/Fuson Interview Room just after 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, speaking uninterrupted before standing and walking away from the dais without taking any questions. Addressing the media and online critics, White stated that those remarks were not necessarily for the people in that room, but rather for an online community trying to create narratives that simply did not exist and attempting to fabricate or distort who she was and what she stood for, while emphasizing her focus on the success, health, wellness, and safety of their players. She further declared that the hate, fearmongering, and divisiveness trying to hijack their league would not win and would not prevail. White also added that she would always lead with love, grace, and humility, and remarked that when others went low, they went high, expressing her belief that love, grace, humility, and kindness would win, before concluding with the sentiment that everyone else could go to hell.
The tension carried over into Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Fever fans filled the stands for the matchup against the New York Liberty. During pregame introductions, some fans booed White, a reaction that left Caitlin Clark visibly upset. Caitlin Clark stated after the victory that she hated that their fans had booed the coach before the game. She added that, to be honest, it had made her a little sick.
DiJonai Carrington Foul on Sophie Cunningham
The controversy surrounding White began on Saturday following the Fever’s game against the Chicago Sky, when DiJonai Carrington smacked Sophie Cunningham in the face. White initially told reporters on Saturday that she did not believe the hit was intentional. That response drew sharp backlash online.
However, by Tuesday, White clarified her stance, telling reporters that after watching the footage, she believed the hit was “egregious.” Cunningham showed support for White following the team’s 106-92 win over the Liberty.
Kelly Krauskopf Statement on Stephanie White
Despite the outside noise, Fever leadership firmly backed the head coach. Fever president Kelly Krauskopf released a statement on Tuesday supporting White, stating that Coach White had done a tremendous job leading the Fever and, for the second consecutive season, had placed them in a great position for a playoff push while keeping the team focused and united under the brightest spotlight their team and league had ever experienced, and affirming that she had the full support of leadership. White, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and one of the original Fever players, is in her second season coaching the team, holding a 44-32 overall record after leading Indiana to the semifinal round of the playoffs in her inaugural year.