Caitlin Clark, Fever get new coach in Stephanie White

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The Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White on Friday to coach Caitlin Clark & ​​Co., a move that had been speculated for weeks.

White, 47, has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Connecticut Sun. She was named the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and an All-Star Game Coach in 2023. She led the Sun to back-to-back semifinal appearances and compiled a 55-25 regular season record and a 7-7 record after the season.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever during such a defining moment in the history of this franchise, as well as during such an important time throughout women’s athletics,” White said in a release. “This franchise has and always will be committed to winning, and I look forward to working every day to help deliver another WNBA title to the greatest basketball fans in the world.”

White was a Fever assistant in 2012 when Indiana won its only WNBA championship.

Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf described White as “part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I’m quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. I’m confident , that there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”

With the 2025 Fever, White will inherit one of the most exciting athletes in all of sports in 2024 Rookie of the Year Clark. Along with 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Clark is a dynamic scorer and passer that has helped elevate the WNBA to an unprecedented level of popularity. The Fever provides a strong core with Clark and Boston, and re-signs Kelsey Mitchell — who is now an unrestricted free agent — will be a top priority this offseason.

White replaces Christie Sides, who was fired on October 27.

On October 28, The Sun announced that they had “parted ways” with White, and it appeared to be an amicable parting. The Fever had reportedly spoken with White about taking over in Indianapolis, and she had also been in discussions to continue her tenure in Connecticut.

On 29 Oct. White told ESPN.com It was not an easy decision to leave Connecticut, but I believe the best for my family and my career. It’s meant a lot to me—I’m so grateful to Jen (Rizzotti, Connecticut Sun president) and the organization. It is a top organization. For me to be able to get back into coaching – which I didn’t know would be possible – with such a great team and coaching staff, it’s meant a lot to me … at the end of the day, it’s hard for me to be away from my family. So from a professional and a personal point of view, I feel like it’s the best decision.”

Indiana is a familiar home for White. An Indiana native and 1999 Purdue graduate, White previously coached the Fever in 2015 and 2016. The Fever went 37-31 over that stretch, fell in the 2015 WNBA Finals to the Minnesota Lynx and lost in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. (White also played for them from 2000-04.)

The possibility of returning to Indiana became official when the Fever announced they had fired Sides after two seasons and a 33-47 record. After a 1-8 start, Sides led the Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Indiana was swept by the Suns in the first round.

White also works as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and called some of Clark’s games when she played at Iowa.

Before the Fever played Connecticut in the season opener on May 24, Clark was asked what she thought of the then Sun coach.

“She’s obviously called a lot of my games throughout college and I think she has a really good basketball mind,” Clark said. “I think she’s done a great job calling college games, it’s been great watching her in NBA games. I think what she’s done is she’s obviously been a trailblazer. I think she is someone who has supported my game.”

Cast: Indianapolis Star

Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This story has been updated with new information.