THE Indiana Fever have reportedly hired their next head coach.
Superstar Caitlin Clark‘s Fever had recently moved on from Christie Sides, who had just ended her second season at the helm.
Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball during the WNBA playoffs[/caption]
Clark celebrates after recording a triple-double in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Spark on September 4[/caption]
On Friday, the Fever hired Stephanie White as their new head coach, a move that has been speculated for weeks.
White coached the Connecticut Sun for the last two seasons.
She won the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and was the All-Star game coach in 2023.
White helped guide the Sun to back-to-back semifinal appearances and has a 55-25 regular-season record along with a 7-7 postseason record.
“I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever during such a pivotal moment in this franchise’s history, as well as during such an important time throughout women’s athletics,” White said in a press 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.”
The Indiana native White is a former WNBA player and has familiarity with the Fever, serving on their coaching staff from 2011 to 2016.
She was head coach for the last two years of that span.
During her playing days, White was a member of the Fever’s inaugural roster in 2000.
She played on the squad for four seasons.
White will get to coach one of the brightest young stars in the WNBA in Clark.
The franchise made the playoffs as Clark won the 2024 Rookie of the Year Award and was a first-team all-WNBA selection.
The Fever also led the league in attendance this season, averaging over 17,000 fans per game.
White will now build around Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Then-Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White claps during a WNBA game in July[/caption]
She will look to help the Fever claim its first title since 2012.
White will replace Sides, who led the Fever to a 20-20 record and their first playoff appearance since 2016.
The hiring of White comes after the Fever named Kelly Krauskopf as their new president in September and Amber Cox as their new COO and general manager last month.
Fans gave praise to the Fever for their head coaching hire on social media.
“Stephanie White’s return as head coach could bring a fresh perspective to this talented young team. Looking forward to seeing how they develop,” one wrote.
“White is the perfect mentor for Clark,” another said.
“Super smart move,” a third added.
