Veteran analyst Skip Bayless caused a stir Sunday night when he tweeted that Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie was “reportedly out” after multiple verbal altercations with Caitlin Clark. Just a few hours after Bayless posted his tweet, a Fever beat reporter refuted the explosive claim.
According to Chloe Peterson of IndyStar Sports, Bayless’ report about White’s dismissal has “absolutely no validity.” Peterson clarified that White is “still” the Fever head coach.
Though it appears that White is still the Fever’s tactician for now, an exchange between her and Clark this past weekend has gotten fans buzzing about their dynamic.
During the Fever’s blowout loss to the Portland Fire on Saturday, White was seen scolding Clark in front of her teammates. When CC tried to explain herself, White turned to rookie guard Raven Johnson and asked her to take Clark’s seat on the bench. Clark stood up and shook her head in disappointment as White addressed her teammates.
In that same game, which the Fever lost 100-84 to the expansion team, White pulled both Clark and Aliyah Boston at the 6:30 mark of the first quarter. This was a move that also drew flak from netizens, though White said in the post-game interview that she was simply following the same substitution pattern for the sweet-shooting guard.
“She Won’t Last Much Longer”: Skip Bayless Backtracks on Tweet About Fever Firing Stephanie White
Shortly after Peterson refuted Bayless’ claim, he posted another tweet that appeared to backtrack on his earlier report.
“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.”
Though Bayless’ tweet about White’s firing may have been posted prematurely, the chemistry between the head coach and the Fever’s star player is something to watch over the coming weeks.