Sep 14, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White on the sideline against the Atlanta Dream in the second quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Fever Coach's 'Crazy' Response to WNBA Punishment for Referee Comments Says It All

Originally posted on Indiana Fever on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 8:21 PM ET

It's hard to imagine that a coach is going to crash out harder than what Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve did in the final moments of her team's September 26 defeat against the Phoenix Mercury.

If you're a women's basketball fan, you've probably seen the videos of Reeve going at a referee for not calling Mercury star Alyssa Thomas for a foul on Napheesa Collier during a pivotal possession in that WNBA Semifinals game, which led to Collier getting injured and the Mercury (who beat the Lynx to advance to the WNBA Finals on Sunday) to getting a big win.

And if Reeve's on-court antics weren't enough, she went scorched earth on the WNBA and its officials when speaking during her postgame press conference. Once the dust settled from all this insanity, it came out that Reeve was not only suspended for the Lynx's Game 4 on Sunday, but she was also fined by the league for her outburst.

It was initially unknown how much Reeve was fined. However, a September 29 article from Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic revealed that the league fined her $15,000, which is a lot of money.

And Reeve wasn't the only WNBA coach who got fined as a result of this incident.

Stephanie White Speaks on WNBA Fine From Cheryl Reeve Support

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon both spoke out in support of Reeve's sentiment after what happened with the legendary Lynx coach. As for White, she said, "I mean, I think that she made a lot of valid points. A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. You know, it's happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player.

"I think at some point, there has to be some accountability," she added.

Did Stephanie White deserve to be fined for agreeing with Cheryl Reeve’s comments about the WNBA officiating? pic.twitter.com/lMO6mEUGYd
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) September 29, 2025

Merchant's article revealed that White and Hammon were fined $1,000 for their comments. White spoke with the media after her team's September 29 practice and addressed this fine at one point.

"Look, I already got fined for supporting Cheryl. Which I think is crazy," White said when asked a question about the series' physicality, per an X post from @Allie874. "You know, look: I think there's nothing that we want more than just consistency. That's what I would say."

Please
The reporters were absolutely gagged when Steph told them she got fined for supporting Cheryl. pic.twitter.com/PaWwO8wfZS
— Allie (@Allie874) September 29, 2025

The league office is known for making some questionable moves. And White calling this decision "crazy," given that her comments are relatively tame, speaks to that.

Hopefully the league doesn't fine her again for this "crazy" comment.

This article first appeared on Indiana Fever on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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