Fans At Odds Over Fever Coach Stephanie White's Luka Doncic Take Calling Mavs Game
The excitement around the Indiana Fever's WNBA franchise is at an all-time high right now.
There are multiple reasons for this. One is that the Fever made it to the WNBA playoffs for the first time in over a decade last season. Another one is that last season's success is largely owed to Indiana receiving Caitlin Clark in the 2024 WNBA Draft, who is a generational talent and seems destined to lead the Fever to multiple WNBA championships.
And Indiana's momentum has continued into the offseason with their hiring of Stephanie White to be their next head coach.
White is currently working as an ESPN analyst for NBA games. She was on a November 27 broadcast of a New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks game and made waves with a take she had about star Mavericks player Luka Doncic.
"You see the Mavs just play differently without Luka on the floor," White said, per X user @Naji_Muse. Doncic sat out of Wednesday's game due to a sprained wrist.
"He's a guy who has a high usage rate, the ball is in his hands," White continued of Doncic. "When he's not on the floor that ball is moving, it's popping, multiple players getting involved in the action and everyone's stepping up."
Stephanie White: "You see the Mavs just play differently w/out Luka on the floor. When he's not on the floor that ball is movin, it's poppin, multiple players gettin involved in the action blah blah blah"@MFollowill: "Lower usage rate for him this year."
— Naji Muse (@Naji_Muse) November 28, 2024
Iswydt Mark. Well done. pic.twitter.com/P0AUhYxFbU
White's comments about Dallas' best player have irked some Mavericks fans.
"Stephanie White was awful for her terrible take on Luka," one X user commented.
Another fan added, "That was it, he should definately defend Luka much MUCH more. This is agenda going, you can see it!!"
Many other fans agreed with White, and seemed to respect her for speaking up.
"Stephanie spittin what I been saying for like 5 years lmao," wrote X user @runitback30.
Stephanie spittin what I been saying for like 5 years lmao https://t.co/ZgQVIW5s5K
— Mitchell (@runitback30) November 28, 2024
Another fan added, "She's right. They are better with him on the floor though. He just needs to dribble less."
She's right. They are better with him on the floor though. He just needs to dribble less.
— MS (@mukipsports) November 28, 2024
It will be interesting to see how White's profile grows as a result of her coaching Indiana.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.