This was supposed to be a redemption year for Caitlin Clark. And after her game-winning shot against the Washington Mystics, it looked like things were finally starting to turn around, but the controversy surrounding her is refusing to go away. Just days after Jason Whitlock went viral for saying that the franchise needed to trade Clark, he is back with a fresh theory.

This time, he believes Clark’s dramatic three-pointer against Washington “felt like an ending” to her time in Indiana.

“That last Fever game against the Washington Mystics felt like an ending to Caitlin Clark’s career, either playing for Stephanie White and/or playing for the Indiana Fever,” the veteran commentator said in the latest episode of Fearless. “I want to walk you through what happened here, so we’re starting with the game-winning bucket. They’re down 76-75. She drills this 31-foot three, and immediately after she starts celebrating, and it’s a muted celebration.

“You can see that they don’t even make eye contact, and look at the expression on Caitlin Clark’s face. This is after hitting the game-winning three-pointer that just saved them. That’s her and Stephanie White hand slapping each other without even making eye contact. They don’t like each other.”

In the latest highly anticipated matchup of the Fever, they faced opponents who gave it their all to secure a win. But in the final moments, with just seconds remaining on the clock, Sophie Cunningham passed the ball to Clark, and the Fever star wasted no time launching a 31-foot three-pointer that splashed through the net and gave Indiana a stunning 78-76 victory at the buzzer.

Here’s the thing, though: The narrative surrounding Caitlin Clark and White did not begin after the Mystics game. Their relationship was already in question even before the 2026 season started. Why? Because in an interview with ESPN, White opened up about her desire to take some of the offensive burden off Clark by reducing the time the ball stayed in her hands. The idea was to create a more balanced offense.

However, many believed Coach White was trying to shift attention away from Clark and place a larger spotlight on Kelsey Mitchell because, just seven months ago, White revealed she wants “to continue to build around her,” referring to Mitchell.

But the final nail in the coffin came when cameras captured Clark and White in a heated exchange during a timeout. While both later downplayed the moment, it quickly went viral and became the strongest evidence for fans, who were convinced there was tension between the two. And Whitlock believes the same.

“Caitlin Clark can’t stand this woman. In Stephanie White’s mind, Kelsey Mitchell is the star of the Indiana Fever. She’s their go-to player,” Whitlock further added.

However, this storyline was starting to lose momentum after cameras caught Clark and White celebrating together on a win over the Atlanta Dream. But what was intended as a meme by Sophie Cunningham and her teammate, going rogue, ended up bringing the entire debate back to life. Fans viewed the post as another sign of conflict between the players and their coach.

“There is a divide in that Fever locker room; people are choosing between Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White, and most of them are choosing Caitlin Clark because Stephanie White is crazy,” Whitlock said.

The analyst believes the Los Angeles Sparks would be the ideal destination for Clark. He opined that neither the Fever nor Clark herself wants to be seen as “the bad guy,” so nobody is making a move even though he believes both sides have grown tired of each other.

But if you were to ask the person at the center of all this speculation, she’d tell you a completely different story.

Caitlin Clark on her relationship with coach White

Clark and White have pushed back on rumors of discord between them.

“There’s a lot of people out there in the media or on TV that they think they know a lot of things and they’re just blatantly wrong about a lot of things,” Clark said earlier this month. “I ride for Steph. I ride for these girls. Steph has my back more than anybody.”

“It’s just another example of what everybody, all of you, want to blow up and make something that is just lost and not in reality.”

Similarly, after the video of Clark arguing with White went viral, the coach downplayed what took place.

“I think what happened in that moment is I was challenging a player,” White told reporters. “It’s coaching, it’s what it is.”

So while Jason Whitlock remains convinced that there is a growing divide inside Indiana’s locker room, Caitlin Clark herself continues to reject that idea. Yet it looks like the debate surrounding her relationship with White isn’t going away anytime soon.