Stephanie White Condemns 'Double Standard' Foul Calls Fever Face After Wings Loss

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White expressed frustration with the referees after her team's loss to the Dallas Wings.
Aug 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White at press conference at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Aug 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White at press conference at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever suffered a tough 81-80 defeat to the Dallas Wings on August 12, thus giving them an 18-15 record in the 2025 WNBA regular season.

The Fever were losing big heading into the fourth quarter before putting a comeback together, ultimately outscoring the Wings 25-14 in that final frame. Alas, it wasn't enough to get them over the edge, as they fell short on the final possession to secure a last-second victory.

Indiana held the advantage over Dallas in terms of free throws attempted in the game, as they had 19 compared to 15 for the Wings in the contest. However, that didn't keep Fever head coach Stephanie White from expressing her frustration about officiating after the game ended.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White yells at her team Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White yells at her team Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fever Coach Cites 'Double Standard' For Fouls After Loss to Wings

White spoke with the media after Tuesday's loss. And when asked about the physicality that took place, she said, "Yeah, it was a physical game, you know? I think there's a double standard in how people get their calls," per an X post from Scott Agness.

"I think Kelsey Mitchell, number one, is held or chucked on every freaking possession, and never gets a call off the ball. I think Aliyah Boston is the worst officiated player in the league. She never gets a call," White continued.

"And there's a double standard there, certainly. But, again, if it's gonna be physical, and you're gonna allow us to be physical, then allow both teams to be physical. If you're gonna call the holds, and you're gonna call the chucks, then call it both ways. I think we've been pretty consistent in what we're asking for, and I don't feel like it was consistent — especially for those two," she added.

"I think you could call a foul every time down the floor for those two."

White is within her rights to feel frustrated. As she alluded to, this is not the first time that she has said that she wants consistency in making foul calls throughout the course of a game, whether that be calling everything or letting the players play, so to speak.

Then again, every WNBA coach has been complaining about the referees this season and nothing has changed. And nothing is likely going to change anytime soon. So this is probably not the last time that White is going to be frustrated about this "double standard" after one of her team's games.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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