Winning 20 games is hard enough without outside noise trying to pull a locker room apart. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed exactly that challenge this week, making clear her team has found a way to keep distractions from reaching the court.

White spoke to reporters during practice on August 10, addressing how her team has handled controversy throughout the season.

"There are a lot of folks out there who want to divide us. There are a lot of folks out there who want to create more challenges for us," White told reporters, in comments shared by The Sporting News on X, following the team's practice on August 10.

White's comments came after weeks of controversy surrounding the Fever, including Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's remarks on transgender athletes and the fallout from a Flagrant 2 foul against her by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington.

The outside pressure has not deterred White from speaking about every aspect of the situation, including the incident itself.

White also spoke about the foul on Carrington, providing a much more balanced perspective than many expected from a head coach in her position.

"One of the things about Nai is that she's gonna play her b*** off, man. She's gonna compete. Nobody's gonna go walking in for a layup. And so I don't oppose the hard foul. But I also don't think that she intentionally went for the neck," White said.

White’s defense received criticism from others, such as Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, who thought it was bad coaching, though White said that she felt like she supported the officials’ decision to eject Carrington but praised her competitive spirit during the play.

This kind of balance is what White has been trying to achieve all season through the locker room.

How the Indiana Fever Have Stayed Unified

That same message of staying focused carries into how Fever guard Caitlin Clark has handled her own share of scrutiny this season.

"I think, for us, it's not really a discussion we really have in our locker room. I think it's for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions. Our focus is on basketball. That's what we talk about and how we can get wins," Clark told reporters after Indiana's loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

While Clark was criticized for failing to directly address Cunningham’s remarks, her reply is quite similar to the greater message of White’s.

From Alyssa Thomas' flagrant foul on Clark in June to the Carrington incident in August, the Fever have faced repeated controversy without it affecting their standing.

Indiana is fifth in the league standings, holds the conference's best offense, averaging a league-best 95.9 points per game, and sits at 20-12.

Do you think Stephanie White has struck the right balance in addressing controversy while keeping her team focused? Comment below.

Read More at Her Sports Nation!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta