Fever Coach Stephanie White Could Face Punishment From WNBA After Dream Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 1:08 AM ET

After winning two consecutive games without All-WNBA point guard Caitlin Clark, Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever saw their streak come to an end.

On Tuesday, White and the Fever dropped to 4-5 on the 2025 WNBA season after falling to Rhyne Howard and the Atlanta Dream 77-58.

Indiana was able to keep the game tied at 33 apiece going into halftime. However, Atlanta outscored the Fever 23-9 in the third, ultimately putting the game out of reach.

With 3:01 remaining in the final quarter, White was assessed a technical foul for arguing a call that apparently went against Fever newcomer Aari McDonald. Howard made the technical free throw, increasing Atlanta's lead to 19.

Coach White got a technical foul in support of Aari pic.twitter.com/e16hyzSYN5
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) June 11, 2025

In the WNBA, a player’s first three technical fouls each result in a $200 fine. For the next three (numbers 4 through 6), the fine increases to $400. After a seventh technical, the fine jumps to $800. While it’s unclear whether coaches face the same penalties, it’s certainly a possibility.

While White may not have picked up a technical prior to Tuesday's loss, she did receive a fine earlier in the year. After a May 24 loss to the New York Liberty, the former Connecticut Sun coach was fined for comments about the officials.

Coaches in the past have been fined (and suspended) for their comments on the court as well. In a more serious instance , former Sun coach Curt Miller was fined $10,000 and suspended one game in 2021 for a remark he made about a Las Vegas Aces player.

Whether or not White is punished, Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is almost certainly facing a $200 fine after picking up a technical of her own on Tuesday, unless the WNBA reverses that call.

Following the loss to Atlanta, the Fever will be back in action on Saturday with a rematch against the Liberty.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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