Caitlin Clark's Fever timeline of trouble in 2026, from Stephanie White confrontation to 'secret' team meeting

2025 was a lost season for Fever star Caitlin Clark, but the way Indiana picked up the pieces and came within a win of the WNBA Finals without her offered serious hope ahead of 2026.

So far, the Fever have struggled to meet those lofty expectations.

Not only has Indiana gotten off to a rocky start on the court, but the early weeks of the season have been marred by controversy and confrontation.

Here's a look at the drama that has followed the Fever in 2026.

SN's WNBA HQ: Live WNBA scores | Updated WNBA standings | Full WNBA schedule

Fever timeline of trouble in 2026

Caitlin Clark's heated exchange with assistant coach

Clark was visibly upset during a conversation with assistant coach Briann January during a win over the Storm on May 17:

Clark didn't address the viral clip, but her past comments indicate she is close to January and might have been more frustrated than angry in the heat of the moment.

Days later, Clark dismissed the incident as simply "two people being competitive."

"There’s a lot of people out there in the media or on TV that think they know a lot of things and they’re just blatantly wrong," Clark said. "I ride for Steph… Steph has my back."

White, meanwhile, told reporters she was just "challenging" Clark. "My relationship with Caitlin is great," White said. "I love Caitlin. I ride with her."

Caitlin Clark injury report controversy

Days later, the Fever caught fans by surprise when they announced less than two hours before tip-off that Clark would miss a game against the Portland Fire with a back injury. Clark had not been on the injury report before the announcement.

Coach Stephanie White defended the team's decision-making, saying Clark wasn't injured until she woke up with a back issue, but the WNBA issued the Fever a warning for an injury report violation.

Clark returned for Indiana's game against the Valkyries two days later.

MORE: Why did Caitlin Clark receive backlash for attending Morgan Wallen concert?

Caitlin Clark-Stephanie White confrontation

Clark was seen getting into a heated exchange with White during the Fever's 100-84 loss to the Fire on May 30, during which she was held to just six points on 1-of-7 shooting.

While at first it looks as though White is letting the entire team hear it, Clark can be seen putting up her hands and shouting right back at her coach.

'Secret' team meeting

Sophie Cunningham revealed on June 2 that the Fever held a "long" team meeting after back-to-back losses. 

"We had a team meeting — a long meeting — and so hopefully we’ve kind of turned the page," Cunningham told reporters. "I think we were in there an hour and a half, almost two hours and we built back all the layers. I think everyone’s on a good page right now and ready to work."

The meeting started out with the coaches but turned into a players-only gathering, Cunningham said, coming two days after the Fever allowed 100 points in a road loss to the Fire that saw Clark and White get into a heated exchange.

MORE: How Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson put past beef behind them as WNBA teammates

Fever revoke reporter's access

On June 2, the Fever revoked the access of longtime reporter Scott Agness for reporting "inaccurate and unsubstantiated" information.

The team said Agness' reporting that Clark's absence on May 20 was "part of a strategic management plan for the season" was incorrect, though Agness defended his reporting both before and after the Fever revoked his credentials. 

White insisted when Clark was ruled out that her absence wasn't related to any kind of load management plan after an injury-riddled 2025 season but rather a new injury. 

Clark's own comments, however, hinted that her absence had at least something to do with a new approach after her 2025 injuries.

"I don’t think it necessarily started at a certain point," Clark said of her back injury. "I think it’s just been over the course of the last year when I’ve been understanding my body more."

Clark explained that she is still "finding the balance of when I maybe don’t need to be as aware and when I’m maybe a little too overaware" of pain or discomfort in her body.