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Stephanie White Details What Went Wrong in Final Play of Fever Loss to Sun

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White spoke about the fateful final play in her team's May 30 loss to the Connecticut Sun.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Connecticut Sun secured the first win of their 2025 WNBA regular season against the Indiana Fever on May 30, stealing a victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena by a score of 85-83.

This was an extremely frustrating game for Fever fans. It marked the second game that star guard Caitlin Clark was missing because of a left quad strain, and the Fever looked hapless on the court without her. As a result, they fell to 2-4 in the regular season.

Indiana does deserve some credit for coming back in the fourth quarter. However, it wasn't enough to secure the win.

The Fever had the ball at the end of the game with about 5 seconds left. They inbounded from the sideline, got the ball to Kelsey Mitchell, who bobbled the ball in the corner, recovered, took a step back, and then took an off-balance three-point shot. It was an airball, thus solidifying the Sun's win.

Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke with the media after the game and addressed what happened during the final play.

“As far as the last play, it wasn't clean. We didn't get it in cleanly," White said, per an X post from Chloe Peterson. "The way it was developing, it looked like we were gonna have a good look. But it just wasn't clean.

When asked whether White was looking for Mitchell's three-pointer on that final play, White added, "No, no. We weren’t looking for a three necessarily, we were just looking to get a quick score. I think the 3 happened because [the inbound] didn’t come in cleanly, and there was a little fumble of the ball."

The Fever will look to get back to their winning ways against the Washington Mystics on June 3.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.

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