Stephanie White justifies crucial decision in Fever’s brutal loss

Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever suffered their second consecutive defeat on Thursday in brutal fashion. They held a three-point lead late in regulation, but Caitlin Clark missed two free throws that could have sealed the win. Chelsea Gray knocked down a buzzer-beating triple to force overtime in the ensuing play.

The Aces’ veteran once again came up huge in overtime, converting another three-pointer as time expired for an 86-84 win. She finished with 11 points and seven assists to support A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. The four-time WNBA MVP scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Young contributed 22 points and nine assists.

White’s team, on the other hand, was led by Kelsey Mitchel, who scored 28 points. It was her 15th straight 20-plus point game, further strengthening her MVP case. Aliyah Boston produced a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double, and Caitlin Clark added 20 points and eight assists.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Indiana Fever: Stephanie White shares thoughts on late-game decision

White decided not to instruct her players to foul ahead of Gray’s three-point attempt in regulation, which has become a major talking point. A foul would have forced Las Vegas to shoot two free-throws. It also wouldn’t have given them a chance to tie the game with one shot. However, the veteran coach highlighted that she wanted Indiana to come up with a defensive stop as it was a “50-50 ball.”

“We knew what was coming and were right there,” White said. “We had talked about fouling, but they’re so good and they’re such veterans that if you get your hand in there just a little bit late, they’re going up into the shot and they’re going to bait you into that. In that situation, that’s a 50-50 ball that we just got to come up with. AB (Aliyah Boston) read it perfectly. Her timing was perfect. It’s a loose ball and it bounced their way. We got to come up with that play.”

The Fever will return to action on Saturday. They will visit the Chicago Sky at the United Center focused on returning to their winning ways.