Indiana Fever HC Breaks Silence Over Late-Game Controversy That Came 1.2 Seconds Before Caitlin Clark’s Loss to NY Liberty

Saturday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse had all the intensity of a playoff showdown. Caitlin Clark and the Fever went toe-to-toe against the defending champions, the New York Liberty, pushing them to the limit. The Liberty fought back from a 12-point deficit, led by last year’s Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, to steal the win. But it wasn’t just the comeback that caught attention — the game’s final moments stirred up some drama, and coach Stephanie White made it clear she wasn’t pleased.

The Liberty entered the third quarter with a 9-point lead, but the Fever flipped the script, taking an 8-point advantage heading into the final quarter. Jonquel Jones put on a show, scoring 14 points in the fourth to rally the Liberty back to an 88-88 tie with just 7 seconds left. That set the stage for a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat finish.

After a no-call on DeWanna Bonner’s layup attempt–where there was heavy contact–the Liberty got the ball back. On the next play, Sabrina Ionescu drove to the basket and went down, drawing a foul against Lexie Hull, though many felt she initiated the contact. While the Fever had a challenge remaining, they couldn’t take it because they had no timeouts left. Ionescu stayed cool and sank both free throws, putting New York up 90-88 with just over two seconds left.

The Fever had one last shot to tie or win. The ball was inbounded to Caitlin Clark, who tried to get a shot off but appeared to be bumped by Natasha Cloud with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock. No foul was called despite clear contact. Clark couldn’t get her shot off and was visibly frustrated as the buzzer sounded. In the post-game conference, Coach White had her say regarding the incident, and it’s safe to say that she wasn’t pleased.

She said,  “I thought she got fouled. I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy — I might be able to understand that if we’re chucking 3s, but we’re not. We’re attacking the rim. The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways, but we can’t allow that to consume us”

 

Steph White on the final play of the game: “I thought she got fouled. I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy — i might be able to understand that if we’re chucking 3s, but we’re not.

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 24, 2025

It’s completely natural to feel frustrated after losing such a tight game. Both of the Fever’s losses this season have been nail-biters with a familiar pattern. In each, free throws played a crucial role. Last week, it was Rhyne Howard’s free throws that sealed the Dream’s win, and today, it was Ionescu’s clutch shots at the line. The discrepancy was clear–Fever shot just 15 free throws, while the Liberty had 32. That difference made a huge impact on the outcome.

But there’s another glaring issue that coach Stephanie White must address if the Fever want to seriously contend for the title this season. Let’s dive into what that problem is.

Caitlin Clark and co continue to struggle against the bigs

There’s no denying that the Fever boast one of the league’s best backcourts, with stars like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and Sophie Cunningham lighting up the floor. But the frontcourt? That’s a different story. Aside from Aliyah Boston, it’s been pretty underwhelming. Even All-Star DeWanna Bonner, brought in to strengthen the wings, has struggled — so much so that she was dropped from the starting lineup against the Liberty in favor of Lexie Hull.

Oct 4, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard DeWanna Bonner (24) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Minnesota Lynx during game three of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

It’s no surprise, then, that the Fever have had trouble handling the bigs in their recent losses. Jonquel Jones dropped 24 points today, outscoring the entire Fever team in the fourth quarter alone. And let’s not forget Brittney Griner’s 21-point performance in the previous defeat. Clearly, Coach Stephanie White has some serious work to do in crafting a game plan to counter these dominant post players if the Fever want to compete for the title.

It’s still early days, and the players are just starting to gel. Coach White will need time to get everyone comfortable with her system and expectations. But the team has already shown plenty of potential. If they can fix this frontcourt problem, there’s no doubt they could be serious contenders this season.

 

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