"WNBA refs masterclass" - Fans erupt as Stephanie White slapped with technical foul after fiery outburst at referee

In the fourth quarter of the Indiana Fever's Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Dream, Fever head coach Stephanie White got caught in the heat of the moment. After a perceived non-call on Dream guard Rhyne Howard in the opening minutes of the final frame, White berated the game officials, who whistled her for a technical foul.

Even as Fever fans watched their team continue to struggle en route to an 80-68 loss, they took to social media to post their reactions to White's outburst.

"WNBA refs masterclass," one fan tweeted.

It's worth noting that, in this Sunday afternoon showdown, the Dream were called for 24 personal fouls while the Fever got whistled for 19. Still, White let her frustrations out after Howard appeared to get away with grabbing Shey Peddy underneath the basket.

In a game when neither team shot the ball particularly well, the Fever had a miserable time shooting from beyond the arc, making just two of their 15 outside attempts. The Dream, meanwhile, converted on seven of their 22 attempts from deep.

Howard and Allisha Gray topscored for Atlanta with 20 points apiece, while Naz Hillmon had a near double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. Brionna Jones chipped in an all-around game of 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

On the Fever side, Kelsey Mitchell (27 points, 50% shooting from the field) carried a tremendous load of offense. The only other Fever player to hit double digits in scoring was Odyssey Sims, who mustered up 10 points despite going 0-for-2 from three-point territory.

"It's a chess match": Stephanie White talks about using coach's challenges after Fever loss in Game 1

At the moment that she was called for a technical foul, White had no more challenges left, at she'd already used two challenges in the first half. After the game, White was asked about the difficult situation that she faced in the fourth quarter when she had no more challenges in her arsenal.

"Very frustrating. Nobody likes to use their challenges in the first half, especially when they are successful," White told reporters. "It's a chess match...that's an area that we're gonna have to dive into, how we get an advantage."

White and her coaching staff will have to figure out ways to recalibrate their overall strategy as the Fever face a do-or-die Game 2 on Tuesday.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado