‘Fire Stephanie White,’ ‘Really Hated by the Team’ — Frustrations Mount As Sophie Cunningham Challenges Fever HC’s ‘Mentality’
· Yahoo Sports
Sophie Cunningham has opened up about the Indiana Fever’s intense practice schedule and offered a glimpse into how head coach Stephanie White approaches preparation.
Her comments were measured, but they quickly sparked a much louder conversation online, with Fever supporters questioning whether the workload could be doing more harm than good.
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Fans Rip Stephanie White After Sophie Cunningham Details Fever’s Intense Practices
Cunningham discussed the Fever’s practice sessions during the latest episode of her “No Hesitation” podcast with Drew Hanlen, which aired Thursday.
The Fever guard explained that Indiana continues to practice at a high intensity despite having only a few games remaining in the 2026 regular season. She said the team often spends multiple hours practicing hard against men in full-court situations.
“Being traded up here to Indiana, we practice, man. Like we practice, practice. Like we are still practicing for probably like two hours against guys, full court, hard. Yeah, and we have four more games left,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham also acknowledged that White has her reasons for taking that approach, particularly with a young roster that is still learning what it takes to be a professional team.
“And so, to each their own. Everyone has a different style. We have a very rookie team, too, who maybe they can’t — they’re learning how to be a pro, and so I can see both sides of it, but we’re still practicing, like, two, two-and-a-half hours hard,” Cunningham added.
She also clarified that she is not taking aim at the Fever’s coach but pointed to another side of the argument as well.
“That has to be our coach’s mentality because holy [expletive]. Like, I love her to death, trust me. I think we are prepared, we are in shape, we are in rhythm, our chemistry is great right now,” Cunningham continued. “And so, I get where she’s coming from. But… I also think there’s something to be said, too, of load management. Because as a player, you also want to feel healthy, and refreshed, and ready to go when it matters. You know what I mean?”
Cunningham’s comments were enough to ignite the Fever’s fanbase, which poured out its thoughts online.
One fan argued that Cunningham’s comments were not exactly new, writing, “Every Fever player has alluded to this since playing under White. Tbf, the raw talent on that team isn’t where it needs to be so maybe she’s trying to force/rep it into existence.”
Another fan connected the demanding practices to the team’s injury concerns, adding, “That is why people are getting injured in practice. Crummy coaches.”
“Gee, I wonder why we have so many lower leg injuries since they got here. Maybe Steph’s [expletive] thinks this is high school and needs to run these crazy long practices,” one X user commented.
That said, the discussion becomes more complicated when looking at how difficult the Fever’s 2025 season was from an injury standpoint.
Caitlin Clark, the anchor of the Fever’s offense, suffered ankle and groin injuries that ended her campaign. Likewise, Sydney Colson later suffered a torn ACL in her left knee, while Aari McDonald broke a bone in her right foot during the same game against the Phoenix Mercury.
Cunningham also suffered a torn MCL in her right knee. Chloe Bibby then sustained a left knee injury during warm-ups and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season.
The long injury list has naturally led some fans to question White’s approach. One Fever loyalist brought up White’s previous tenure at Vanderbilt, arguing, “Vanderbilt women’s program that Steph White burned down, the players complained of way too hard and rough practices. Leg and back injuries are common on teams she coaches.”
Another wrote, “This coaching staff is really hated by the team. Look at Drew’s face. Two-hour practices against men. I remember DeWanna Bonner complaining and thought she was lazy, but she had a point.”
One X user even went as far as calling for White’s job, simply posting, “#FireStephanieWhite.”
Still, there is another side to the story that cannot be ignored. White has built her coaching identity around a physical, defensive-first style, and that approach has produced results for Indiana.
In 2025, White led the Fever to the Commissioner’s Cup title with a 4-1 record. Indiana also finished the regular season 24-20 despite Clark playing only 13 games and the team dealing with significant injuries and roster turnover.
The Fever then upset the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the playoffs before pushing the Las Vegas Aces to five games in the semifinals.
White also boasts a 50-34 record during her second Fever coaching stint and previously took Indiana to the WNBA Finals in her first tenure as head coach in 2015.
In 2026, they have again booked a playoff spot, their third straight year doing so after a seven-year drought, so it seems White’s approach is working so far. The Fever return to action on Friday against the Toronto Tempo.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.