Jason Whitlock took aim at the Indiana Fever once again on Sunday’s episode of the Fearless podcast, claiming Caitlin Clark’s on-court struggles may be tied to deeper locker room issues—not just basketball.
Referencing what he called the “Indiana curse,” Whitlock linked Clark’s off-night to Tyrese Haliburton’s injury during the Pacers’ Game 7 Finals loss. Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, had a rough shooting performance in Indiana’s 89–81 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, finishing with 19 points on 7-for-20 shooting and just 1-of-10 from deep.
But it wasn’t just the stat line that caught Whitlock’s attention. He believes there’s an identity conflict behind the scenes.
“I think they have a sexual identity war going on with the Indiana Fever,” said Whitlock. “I think you have one half of the team, led by Caitlin Clark, that’s heterosexual and feminine, and I think you have the other half of the team led by Natasha Howard and the woman who went MIA, DeWanna Bonner.”
He continued:
“I don’t know where Kelsey Mitchell fits in this. The head coach plays for the other team. She’s allegedly in some sort of gay mirage with Lisa Salters. You have a sexuality feud.”
Whitlock compared the situation to how the Boston Celtics once built around Bill Russell and Larry Bird. According to him, the franchise should be tailoring the team around Caitlin Clark in the same way—regardless of race, but certainly with chemistry in mind.
He even went as far as to suggest the Fever should consider building a “white-girl friendly” roster to better support their star.
“Indiana Fever need a man coaching that team”: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Needs To Replace HC Stephanie White With A Straight Man, Says Jason Whitlock
Still on the Fearless podcast, Whitlock said Caitlin Clark and the Fever would benefit from a complete leadership change, starting at the top.
“Indiana Fever need a man coaching that team. A heterosexual man coaching that team,” he said. “I have no problem with Stephanie White. There’s a bunch of other teams where she’s probably fit to coach, but the Indiana Fever need a heterosexual leader.”
Whitlock clarified that Clark has shown no hostility toward LGBTQ+ issues. Instead, he pointed back to her time at Iowa:a
“If you look at that Iowa team and why they had so much success, it fit Caitlin Clark’s personality.”
The Fever (6–7) next face the Seattle Storm (9–5) on Tuesday.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
