WNBA coach defends Indiana Fever's Stephanie White amid league discourse: 'That is wrong'

Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts may not understand exactly what the Indiana Fever‘s Stephanie White has dealt with the past week or so, but he can empathize.

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In a recent pregame interview, Tibbetts lamented the WNBA’s frequent brushes with controversy, so many of them involving the Fever.

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White has been criticized by the state’s lieutenant governor after a postgame comment regarding the Chicago Sky’s DiJonai Carrington. White gave an impassioned defense of her players before she was booed while being introduced the next game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fever players also defended White, who received an ovation before Friday night’s game against the New York Liberty.

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“There are some things that our coaches have to deal with on a night-to-night level, and I feel sorry for those coaches,” Tibbetts said Saturday.

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“Some of things that Steph goes through, that is wrong. There is no other coach in professional sports that … it’s not fair. She was hired as a coach, and they’ve got a great team and they are dealing with stuff that doesn’t really matter. That still pisses me off.”

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The Fever have had a lot of potential distractions this season, yet they have won three straight games and are fourth in the standings of the 15-team league.

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Indiana has had issues with the Mercury this season. Sophie Cunningham got into a pointing match with former Fever player DeWanna Bonner, and Alyssa Thomas was suspended after putting a fist to Caitlin Clark‘s throat during a scramble for the ball. (No foul was called on the play.)

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Cunningham’s comments on transgender women playing sports prompted a national firestorm.

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Doyel: Tuesday was a breaking point for Stephanie White and, perhaps, turning point for WNBA

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Tibbetts said the league is getting too much unwanted attention.

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“I don’t know why that happens in our league. I don’t know who can help change this,” he said. “Is it the coaches, or the players? Is it the media?

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“There are outside sources trying to create division. And, at times, (it’s) not a lot of fun for our players.”

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Nate Tibbetts on Stephanie White, via @HaydenCilley:

“Some of the things that Steph has to go through… There’s no other coach in any professional sport that has to go through the stuff that she does… It’s not fair. She’s hired to coach basketball.”pic.twitter.com/ezbu41irEU

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 15, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA coach defends Indiana Fever’s Stephanie White amid league discourse: ‘That is wrong’