Controversial Officiating Again Overshadows Fever Victory
The Indiana Fever may have snapped their losing streak with a 94–86 win over the Seattle Storm, but officiating drama once again dominated the postgame conversation. This time, however, head coach Stephanie White was at the center, but not for the usual reasons.
Just weeks after calling out the WNBA officiating in a viral postgame rant. “Everybody’s getting better, except the officials.” White narrowly avoided another fine after an emotional outburst late in the third quarter.
Cameras caught her leaping and yelling over what she believed was a missed shot clock violation. Broadcasters didn’t miss a beat, noting, “I’ve never seen Stephanie White this angry,” and many expected a technical foul. But none came.
Missed Calls and Broadcast Frustration
White may have avoided a technical, but the refs didn’t escape criticism. Broadcasters and fans alike were stunned by several missed calls, most notably two hard collisions involving Damiris Dantas. One came when Dantas barreled into Alysha Clark during a rebound attempt. Another no-call happened moments later when she snatched a board out of Clark’s hands, with a commentator bluntly pointing out it would’ve been Dantas’ fourth foul.
While the foul totals looked even on paper, 21 for Fever, 20 for Seattle, the non-calls raised more eyebrows than the actual stats.
Indiana Gets the Win, But Questions Remain
The Fever now sit at 7–7, returning home to face the Los Angeles Sparks. Aliyah Boston led the charge with a career-high 31 points, while Kelsey Mitchell added a scorching 26 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark struggled, managing just six points on 3-of-13 shooting. But she didn’t need to be the hero this time.
Still, the Fever win doesn’t erase the larger concern: inconsistent officiating. Fans, players, and now broadcasters are calling attention to it. As the Fever moves forward, the WNBA will need to take a closer look at referee accountability before it impacts more than just the scoreboard.
