There might be something very right with a WNBA player if everybody around the league starts taking her name, not if that turns out to be Caitlin Clark. Since the WNBA’s Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) started picking up pace, almost all the conversations have the Indiana Fever rookie in them.
But that’s not something the team head coach Stephanie White wants to see lately. She’s been off with the latest trend of using her star player’s name just to make the conversation noticeable.
Stephanie White Reacts To Using Caitlin Clark’s Name Amid CBA Talks
The league has been in quite an unrest since Napheesa Collier stuck the chord with her exit interview. Collier criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for a lack of accountability amid the growing physicality in the league.
However, not only that. She additionally touched down on the looming CBA that has its term expiring on October 31st this year. And that did not sit quite well with White. The Fever coach slammed the use of Caitlin Clark’s name in the WNBA’s heated CBA negotiations. Speaking on ‘Query & Company’ on 107.5 The Fan, White called Clark, her 23-year-old star, “a pawn in a lot of other people’s games and narratives.”
“I hate it all for Caitlin. She’s a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game, who is a pawn in a lot of people’s games and narratives. I hate that for her,” White said.
Stephanie White speaks on Caitlin Clark being drawn into the latest CBA negotiations debacle:
— Caitlin Clark Agenda (@TheClarkAgenda) October 3, 2025
I hate it for Caitlin…I feel like she's a pawn in a lot of other people's games…[and] narratives.pic.twitter.com/kQGM2dZgza
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The remarks come amid a firestorm sparked by Collier’s interview, where she accused Commissioner Engelbert of dismissing Clark’s revenue impact by saying she should be “grateful” for $16 million in off-court earnings. However, White, who coached Clark to a Commissioner’s Cup title and a playoff upset over Atlanta, sees her star’s influence weaponized.
Stephanie White Addressed Caitlin Clark’s Hard Work
Clark’s 2025 season was a battle against her body, and White lauded her grit during exit interviews. Limited to 13 games, Clark fought through a left quad strain (May 24, two weeks out), a left groin injury (June, two weeks), and a right groin injury (July 15) compounded by an August 7 ankle sprain in a Phoenix workout.
“My ankle kind of didn’t allow me to really see where my groin was at,” Clark said, per IndyStar, describing a severe roll that ended her season in early September. She worked “multiple hours” daily in rehab, aiming for a return that never came. However, White marveled at Clark’s maturity.
Clark’s rehab focused on mechanical tweaks, with White prioritizing health over rushing 5-on-5 play. “Nobody worked harder than Caitlin,” White said, noting her endurance-building plan for the long offseason. Currently, Clark eyes USA Basketball’s March 2026 World Cup camp, a priority to prep for her third WNBA season.