{
  "id": 9969686,
  "title": "Stephanie White’s treatment of Caitlin Clark prompts apology to ex-Fever coach from WNBA expert",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/stephanie-whites-treatment-of-caitlin-clark-prompts-apology-to-ex",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T11:20:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stephanie-white-treatment-caitlin-clark-112052560.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Stephanie White's handling of star player Caitlin Clark has sparked backlash, leading WNBA expert Maurice Drake Jr. to call for an apology to ex-coach Christie Sides. Clark and the Indiana Fever reached the 2026 WNBA playoffs after a challenging regular season, marked by a 20-point loss in their final game. White is facing mounting criticism for her reluctance to delegate more control to Clark. Maurice Jr. believes that Sides, who led the team during Clark's first season, would have been a better fit than White. \"Christie Sides, we’re sorry. Christie Sides, we’re sorry. I would take Christie Sides back over Stephanie White any day of the week,\" said Maurice Jr. on The Linda Cohn Show. The expert added that White and Clark are simply not aligned, and it would be beneficial for both parties to move on. Despite rumors of her imminent dismissal, White remains the Fever's head coach until the end of the 2026 WNBA playoffs. As Clark prepares to step into her next chapter, it is clear that a coach who understands her abilities will be crucial to her continued success.",
  "summary": "Stephanie White continues to face criticism for her poor utilisation of superstar Caitlin Clark. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have reached the 2026 WNBA playoffs following a rocky regular season as they suffered an embarrassing 20-point blowout defeat during their final game.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Indiana Fever playoff tickets now surprisingly available at 90% discount despite Caitlin Clark factor",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/indiana-fever-playoff-tickets-now-surprisingly-available-at-90",
        "published": "2026-09-24T06:32:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Lynx flex their top-seed muscle without Miles, push Clark and the Fever to 6th for the WNBA playoffs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/lynx-flex-their-top-seed-muscle-without-miles-push-clark-and-the-9679820",
        "published": "2026-09-25T02:18:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}