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Fever Coach Stephanie White Sounds Off to ESPN About Physicality Allowed in WNBA

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke to ESPN about the excessive physicality in the WNBA and why it's so extreme this season.
Rosalina Lee|
Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White yells to her team during the first half against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White yells to her team during the first half against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

From the players, to the coaches, to even fans online, the officiating––as it pertains to the physicality allowed on the court––in the 2025 season of the WNBA has been targeted as an issue that needs to be assessed and addressed.

Even ESPN host Amina Smith sardonically mentioned how the physicality has been “different” in the league this year to Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White on a segment of NBA Today on Monday.

And when White was asked to share her thoughts as to why that could be, she didn’t hold back.

“I think as players you will always be as physical as they allow,” White told Smith, referring to the length the referees will let physicality get played out on the court without calling it.

“These are the ultimate competitors right? The best in the world at what they do. Any edge you get to win a ballgame, you’re going to take advantage of it,” she continued. “And I think the physicality is–because it’s being allowed to be that way––everybody’s stepping up to it, and everybody’s embracing it in their own way.”

White has not been shy to spotlight the issue since early in the season, when on May 24 White blasted the referees after the Fever faced the New York Liberty saying, "I thought she [Caitlin] got fouled. I think it's pretty egregious, what's happening to us the last two games," White said in the postgame press conference.

She went on to say, "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, or it hasn't gone both ways.”

White is not the only one this season to sound alarms about the officiating as Seattle star Storm Gabby Williams highlighted a reckless closeout resulting in an ankle injury that went uncalled, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve put awareness on the amount of unchecked physicality allowed to her star Napheesa Collier, and Los Angeles Sparks standout Kelsey Plum didn't mince words regarding the issue herself.

"I think people are frustrated with the consistency," Plum said to Robin Lundberg of Women's Fastbreak On SI over All-Star weekend. "It's like a ticky-tack here, and then someone gets absolutely assaulted over here, and like, where's the line?"

If nothing else, the league is being put on notice now more than ever. As physicality continues to escalate and voices grow louder, it’s clear WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and league officials must take a hard look at how games are being called—or risk further fanning the flames of the growing frustrations around fairness of competition.

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Rosalina Lee
ROSALINA LEE

Rosalina Lee is one of the premiere content creators in the women’s basketball space. She has written for such companies as Red Bull Sports and has teamed up with notable brands such as Madison Square Garden, going behind the scenes with the New York Knicks and Rangers. She is currently offering analysis and fresh takes into the world of women’s basketball on her YouTube channel, and now with Indiana Fever On SI and Women's Fastbreak On SI, keeping fans in the loop with all the latest action!

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