Women's Fastbreak On SI

Fever Coach Claims Foul on Final Caitlin Clark Play in Referee Rant Post Liberty Loss

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White called out how the referees handled the final possession of her team's loss to the New York Liberty.
Grant Young|
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White looks up Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White looks up Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Liberty kept their undefeated 2025 WNBA season alive on Saturday, as defeated the Indiana Fever on their home court by a score of 90-88 in what ended up being a thrilling contest that felt like a playoff game.

However, the final score was not without controversy. There were several questionable calls at the end of the contest that the Fever community is claiming was mishandled by the game's referees.

After two consecutive possessions where a foul call that could have done either way went against the Fever (which ended up with the Liberty having a two-point lead with a few seconds remaining), Caitlin Clark got an inbound right above the free throw line and went up for a shot while being guarded by Liberty standout Natasha Cloud.

Cloud ultimately ripped the ball away from Clark, securing New York's victory. However, Clark (seemingly), and many others watching the game believe she was fouled on the play.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White asserted that she thought the referees missed the call when speaking with the media after the game.

"I thought [Caitlin] got fouled. I think it's pretty egregious, what's happening to us the last two games," White said of the referees, per an X post from Scott Agness.

"The disrespect [by the referees] for our team, right now, has been pretty unbelievable. So it's disappointing that it doesn't go both ways... There's a system to making sure we can send stuff in [to the WNBA] and communicate our grievances," White continued. "I don't know that I ever feel like the system works. We're not looking for a change, we're looking for consistency."

Tough call aside, White and the Fever will look to bounce back against the Washington Mystics on May 28.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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