Fever coach Stephanie White calls out 'absolutely unacceptable' officiating after 'cheap shots' on Caitlin Clark

There has long been a perception among some fans that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is treated poorly by other players and even officials on the court. Whether fair or not, Fever coach Stephanie White is leaning into the idea.

White blasted officials on Wednesday night after the Phoenix Mercury took "cheap shots" at Clark and the referees largely held their whistle.

At one point, Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas appeared to hit Clark's next while the Fever star was lying on the court.

Here's a look at the play that upset White and what she had to say after the narrow 111-109 loss.

MORE: Latest Caitlin Clark injury updates

Stephanie White calls out 'absolutely unacceptable' officiating

Clark ripped the officials and Mercury players in defense of Clark after Wednesday's loss.

"We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called," White told reporters. "Absolutely unacceptable."

One of two plays that frustrated White was a scramble for the ball that ended with Thomas appearing to shove her fist into Clark's neck, which went uncalled by officials.

Alyssa Thomas with the fist to Caitlin Clark's throat. Play on, of course. pic.twitter.com/EdcOY6zgKc

White went on to call the officiating "absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful," and she claimed the non-calls were part of a broader pattern of Clark being officiated differently than other players.

"We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency. [Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called," White said. "The fist in the throat is crazy. It's crazy. It's dangerous. When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating."

The Fever lost by two points, so any additional foul call could have changed the course of the game. Clark, meanwhile, would leave due to injury in the third quarter. Here's more to know.

MORE: Caitlin Clark's complete injury timeline from NCAA to WNBA

What happened to Caitlin Clark?

Clark was on the receiving end of two hard hits Wednesday night, which White called "cheap shots." White, however, said she wasn't sure whether the plays had any impact on Clark's health before she left the game with a back injury in the third quarter and did not return.

Clark previously missed a game with a back injury in May, and White said after the game that the issue is just something the Fever have to be careful with throughout the year.

"We've got to be careful. It's a long season," White told reporters. "We've got to make sure that she's healthy."