"It’s been self-sabotage" - Caitlin Clark's new coach Stephanie White makes her feelings clear about WNBA's $200M TV payout

Stephanie White, who was appointed as coach of Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever this offseason, has been a vocal presence in the women's game and recently shared her thoughts on the WNBA's media deal.

On Wednesday, during an interview with People magazine, White threw light on the controversial nature of the WNBA's latest media deal and the inequality it represents.

The WNBA's annual media evaluation climbed from a reported $60 million to $200 million per year (for 11 years) after the media deal was signed in July 2024, per ESPN. However, the figure pales to those associated with the men's game ($76 billion over 11 years). White pointed fingers at self-sabotage and a skewed perception in the media as factors undermining the growth of the women's game.

"The momentum has all come together in a way that those of us who have been here since the beginning felt like it should and knew that it eventually would," White said.

"I feel like, for women’s basketball and women’s sports, it’s been self-sabotage by the [TV] networks because of preconceived notions that people don’t care about it. It’s not true that people don’t care about it, and you can see that in the viewership."

Stephanie White during her last stint with the Fever in 2016 - Source: Getty

Caitlin Clark's new coach isn't alone in raising concerns about the WNBA media deal

Long before Stephanie White came out to mock the media rights deal, the executive director of the WNBA players' union, Terri Jackson, also found the deal "undervalued" at $2.2 billion over 11 years.

"We look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation -- if initial reports are accurate or even close," Jackson said via ESPN in July 2024.

"Neither the NBA nor the WNBA can deny that in the last few years, we have seen unprecedented growth across all metrics, the players continue to demonstrate their commitment to building the brand, and that the fans keep showing up. There is no excuse to undervalue the WNBA again."

Caitlin Clark's rookie season saw the guard feature in the 13 most-watched WNBA games ever - Source: Getty

According to ESPN, the total value of the media rights bundle that includes the WNBA and the NBA was priced at around $76 billion, of which only $2.2 billion goes to the WNBA.

As Jackson said, despite the unprecedented growth, the NBA controls the destiny of WNBA in this media rights deal.