Fever coach Stephanie White rips officials, says Aliyah Boston is WNBA's 'worst officiated post player'

In another rebuke of WNBA referees, Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White called All-Star center Aliyah Boston the "worst officiated post player in the league" following her team's narrow 81-80 loss to the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night. 

White was frustrated after her team's late comeback attempt fell short. The Fever trailed by 17 points with 6:30 to play, but cut the deficit down to one in the final minute with a furious rally. They had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Kelsey Mitchell's leaner from the corner caught the top of the backboard. 

Even with all of their injury issues, Tuesday's game against one of the worst teams in the league was one the Fever really needed for playoff seeding. With the loss, they dropped below the Las Vegas Aces and into sixth place at 18-15. 

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Jack Maloney

Asked about the defeat, White first called out her team's "uncharacteristic" play, including a lack of focus on defense and too many turnovers. She also noted the fact that Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson are all out, and their only healthy point guard was Odyssey Sims, who just signed on a hardship contract on Sunday. Eventually, White turned her ire toward the officials. 

"It was a physical game. I think there's a double standard in how people get their calls," White said. "I think Kelsey Mitchell, No. 1, is held or chucked on every freaking possession and never gets a call off the ball. I think Aliyah Boston is the worst officiated post player in the league. She never gets a call. There's a double-standard there, certainly.

"If it's gonna be physical and you're gonna allow some [physicality], then allow both teams to be physical. If you're gonna call the holds and you're gonna call the chucks, then call it both ways. We've been pretty consistent in what we're asking for, and I didn't feel like it was consistent, especially for those two. I think you could call a foul every time down the floor for those two."

The Fever actually shot more free throws (19 to 15) than the Wings on Tuesday and were called for fewer fouls (17 to 19), but White has been consistent in calling out what she views as a lack of consistency all season. 

In May, White was fined an undisclosed amount for comments she made following the Fever's loss to the New York Liberty, and in June she blasted the refs for a lack of improvement after a physical win over the Connecticut Sun. White has also voiced her opinion that the physicality the officials allowed against Clark contributed to her injury problems. 

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Jack Maloney

"Every year, when we have our league meetings in the fall and in the spring, we say the same thing over and over and over, and nothing has changed," White said on June 17. "Look, [the officials'] job is hard. [The players'] job is hard. The game has changed so much. Players are faster, they're bigger, they're better, they're stronger, they're as good as they've ever been, they're as athletic as they've ever been. The game is fast now. Things are happening quickly. Everybody's getting better, except the officials. So we gotta find a way to remedy it. You've heard every coach talk about it, so I don't know what the answer is."

For the season, the Fever are second in the league in shots within five feet per game (25.9) and second in points in the paint per game (39.2), but are eighth in free-throw attempts per game (18.5). Boston, meanwhile, is 26th in the league in free-throw attempts per game (3.7) despite being fourth in the league in shot attempts within five feet per game (6.8).