INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White scoffed at the league’s warning for violating its injury report protocol. The Fever were warned Thursday, and White was asked for her reaction Friday during her pregame news conference before playing the Golden State Valkyries.“My reaction is: ‘For what?’” White said.Asked to elaborate, White added: “Because we did things the right way.”Fever guard Caitlin Clark was ruled out of Wednesday’s win over the Portland Fire due to a back injury. The announcement came 100 minutes before tipoff. However, Clark did not appear on the injury report Tuesday despite not practicing, or earlier Wednesday when she woke up with a sore back.The WNBA requires teams to submit an injury report at 5 p.m. local time the day before a game. The report “must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness, other medical condition, or other reason for any player whose participation in the game may be affected for any reason,” per league rules. On game days, teams can begin submitting their injury reports at midnight and are required to update them every 15 minutes leading up to tipoff.
The Fever did not adhere to those guidelines, which the WNBA deemed a clear violation of its rules.White often has been tight-lipped regarding her players’ injuries and repeatedly defers questions to the medical staff, which isn’t allowed to speak publicly about players’ health. When reminded about that, White shrugged her shoulders and sarcastically said, “I’m sorry.”Injury reports are common across professional sports, and transparency is meant to ensure competitive fairness, keep fans informed and protect the game’s integrity with legalized sports betting. WNBA teams are also subject to fines from the league for not complying with injury report rules.White didn’t offer anything more when asked how she handles injury reports.“I don’t disclose anything that’s not already disclosed by our medical team and by our franchise,” she said.Clark returned to action in Friday’s game against the Valkyries.May 23, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
