Fever Coach Stephanie White Faces Fine After Tense Playoff Loss to Dream..
The Indiana Fever’s playoff dreams hit a snag Sunday, but it was head coach Stephanie White’s post-game fire that drew the league’s ire. In a heated Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Dream, 80-68, at Gateway Center Arena, White’s vocal frustration with the officiating has landed her an undisclosed fine from the WNBA, sources confirmed Monday morning.
The penalty underscores the league’s zero-tolerance stance on public criticism of refs, even in the high-stakes cauldron of the playoffs.
The Dream, riding a franchise-record 30 regular-season wins, asserted dominance early and never looked back. Guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray torched Indiana for 20 points apiece, while forward Naz Hillmon added 14 in the second half to seal the deal.
Atlanta’s 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter – fueled by a flurry of technical fouls on the Fever bench – turned a tight affair into a rout. Indiana, seeded sixth after a gritty 24-20 campaign marred by five season-ending injuries, including star Caitlin Clark’s groin issue, fought valiantly but couldn’t overcome the deficit.
Tensions boiled over late. White earned a technical for arguing a no-call on a drive by Lexie Hull, and the Fever racked up two more as a team, handing Atlanta free throws that widened the gap
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana’s lone All-Star on the floor, poured in a game-high 27 points, but her teammates managed just 41 as a unit. Odyssey Sims chipped in 10, but the absence of Clark – sidelined since July – left the offense sputtering against Atlanta’s stout defense.
Post-game, White didn’t hold back. “The officiating tonight was egregious – a minus-12 in free throws, and we’re attacking the rim relentlessly,” she said, echoing complaints from earlier fines this season.
“This isn’t about excuses; it’s about respect for our fight.” The WNBA, citing its conduct policy, swiftly imposed the fine – White’s second of 2025 for similar outbursts, following a May slap after blasting refs post-Liberty loss. Clark, ever the teammate, once offered to cover a prior $200 tech fine from White’s July tirade against the Aces, a gesture that highlighted the Fever’s bond amid chaos.
White, a Purdue alum and Fever lifer, returns for Game 2 Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with her squad facing elimination. “We’ll channel this into fuel,” she vowed. Atlanta coach Tanisha Wright praised the win as “gritty validation of our season,” but noted the series’ unfinished business.
For Indiana, a team that clawed back from a slow start to snag the playoffs, this loss stings. Yet White’s defiance – fine and all – embodies the Fever’s resilient spirit. As the best-of-three tips off anew, expect more fireworks. After all, in the WNBA’s rising era, passion isn’t fined; it’s foundational.
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