Caitlin Clark’s debut WNBA season was nothing short of electric. The former Iowa superstar averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 34.4% from the three-point line. She was named Rookie of the Year and became an All-Star in her first season, instantly becoming the face of the Indiana Fever and one of the biggest names in the league.
Her performances brought in record-breaking viewership and new fans to the WNBA. But along with the fanfare came a troubling trend that is online hate and backlash targeted at other players, often from Clark’s most vocal supporters.
Now, Fever’s returning head coach Stephanie White has drawn a line in the sand with a refreshingly simple message to overzealous supporters.
Stephanie White Has a Serious Message for the Haters
In a candid interview on the “Good Follow Show” addressing the controversial behavior of some Indiana Fever supporters, Coach White didn’t mince words when addressing the hostile environment created by certain fans.
“There is no place for the hate, the vitriol, the language, the narratives that have been spewed upon the WNBA from last season to this season. Look, part of being a great league, and you know our male counterparts have seen this as well.”
“Some of it comes with it. You can root for your team, you can dislike an opponent. You can dislike whatever it is, be a fan, but don’t be a bad human being. Like, be a fan but don’t be a jerk. It’s not that hard to not be a jerk,” said White during the interview.
“There is no place for the hate, the vitriol, the language, the narratives that have been spewed upon the WNBA from last season to this season… It’s not that hard to not be a jerk.” @IndianaFever Coach @StephanieWhite keeps it real on calling out the toxic narratives… pic.twitter.com/ghJ2falpdM
— Good Follow (@GoodFollowShow) April 16, 2025
The comment comes amid rising concerns about the way some fans, particularly those new to the WNBA through Clark, have engaged with the sport. Several players have faced harsh online criticism, often unrelated to performance.
Among them is Aliyah Boston, the 2023 Rookie of the Year and Clark’s current teammate. To set some context, the Fever lost the first five games of last season. While it was due to a lack of team chemistry at the beginning of the season, according to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, it was Aliyah Boston who was targeted the most by presumably Clark fans.
According to Rowe, Boston had informed her that before the Fever’s second regular-season game against the Connecticut Sun, she had deleted her X account and was only available on TikTok. The reason? She got constant toxic backlash from Clark fans.
However, she wasn’t the only one getting the threats. Many players, including Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, had received the same treatment from the fans. The friction has raised concerns that the growing WNBA fanbase may fracture rather than unite unless leaders step in, and that’s exactly what White plans to do.
The returning head coach emphasized that she’s not only concerned with what happens during the 40 minutes of play, but she will be monitoring everything that happens in the league around her team and will take the necessary actions.
“I think number one, we gotta be vocal about what’s acceptable and what’s not. Doesn’t mean that people are gonna change, and we’ve all been online enough to know that there’s a lot of hate out there.”
“There’s a lot of vitriol out there. But I also think that we have to step back and look at it… You know, utilizing that, so I think number one for our team our challenges is gonna be what do we allow inside the building. What do we allow inside the locker room? We got to be very protective of our space. We got to be very protective of our team. If you don’t have the ability to shut it down, then we have to have and utilize the resource to keep it on the outside,” added White during the interview.
As the Fever gear up for a new season, White’s leadership is setting the tone not just for basketball, but for how the Fever represent themselves off the court.
Clark Has Also Been Vocal About This Issue
While Indiana Fever head coach White has recently addressed the ongoing hate directed at other WNBA players by the fake Fever fans, Clark had already acknowledged this issue months ago.
Back in September, following the Fever’s elimination from the playoff round one, Clark sat down for an interview and shared her thoughts on the matter. She didn’t shy away from calling it out, labeling the hate as sad and noting how unfortunate it was that fan enthusiasm could cross the line into negativity.
“It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism – hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA,” said Clark during the post-game presser.
Though Clark’s rookie season had many highlights, the Fever’s championship hopes were ultimately dashed by the Connecticut Sun, who ended their run in a close 87-81 battle. Clark is expected to return this season with even more dominance, aiming not only to elevate her team but also to continue advocating for a more respectful fan culture in the game she loves.