A report by former ESPN and Fox Sports host Skip Bayless has been called out for spreading misinformation about the firing of the Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.

Bayless reported on Sunday that White was getting fired. This comes after the Fever HC clashed with Caitlin Clark during the Fever's game against the Portland Fire, which ended 100-84 in favor of the Fire.

However, renowned Indy Star reporter Chloe Peterson was quick to respond to Bayless' claim and dismissed it in its entirety. In a X post, she wrote:

"For those that have seen Skip Bayless’ tweet about reports of Stephanie White being let go from the Fever: I’m told there is absolutely no validity to that report. Stephanie White is still the head coach in Indiana."

A few hours after his original post, Bayless backtracked on his original claim, but stuck to the sentiment. In a follow-up X post, he wrote:

"Now they're saying reports are erroneous about Stephanie White. But the point is, she won't last much longer clashing during games with CAITLIN CLARK … even if her issues with Caitlin are mostly valid."

Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White were seen arguing on the sidelines during a timeout in between the game against the Fire. White also pulled Clark out of the game a short while after the argument, replacing her with rookie Raven Johnson.

This clash between the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and the two-time All-Star has generated buzz in the basketball world.

WNBA Veterans React To Stephanie White And Caitlin Clark's Growing Tension

A few basketball veterans have reacted to Clark and White's argument on Saturday. Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird was one of them, but according to her, the exchange seemed more like spur-of-the-moment frustration rather than deep-seated issues.

"I think it’s frustration," said Bird. "It’s also not that crazy. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this. It doesn’t have some deep meaning to it. I’ve had moments like that with coaches. I think it speaks to player-coach relationships."

WNBA icon Cheryl Miller also shared her take, attributing the heated exchange to brewing tension behind the scenes.

"It’s one thing to have it behind closed doors," Miller said. "But when it spills over, and when the coach has to basically say, ‘You know what, Caitlin, enough is enough; this is too disruptive. In and out, take a seat.'"

Amid the ongoing conflict, the Fever will have to be ready to face their next opponents, the Atlanta Dream, who are 5-2, with the Fever at 4-4 and needing to bounce back from two straight losses to the Portland Fire and the Golden State Valkyries.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Yask Kotak