Homecoming: Stephanie White back in Indiana to coach Fever, Caitlin Clark

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever made a big swing with their new head coach hire.

Former Fever player and coach Stephanie White will return as the franchise’s next head coach the team announced Friday. White, who was Fever head coach from 2015-16, replaces Christie Sides after the second-year Fever coach was fired Sunday.

White is a perfect fit for what the Fever need. She is an experienced coach and knows what it takes to make deep playoff runs — something that hasn’t happened for the Fever since she was the head coach. Her Connecticut Sun teams ranked first and second in defensive rating, respectively, in 2023 and 2024, while still being an effective team offensively. She’s coached stars, too, including Fever legend Tamika Catchings and 2023 MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas.

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Now, White will be tasked in harnessing the talent of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (assuming she re-signs with the team) for a deep playoff run in 2025 and beyond.

“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 team statement. “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.”

This hire continues White’s history with Indiana. She played four of her five years in the WNBA with the Fever, was an assistant on Lin Dunn’s coaching staff when the Fever won their only WNBA championship, and brought Indiana back to the WNBA Finals in her first season as a head coach in 2015. She has a long history with Fever president Kelly Krauskopf, as well: Krauskopf picked her in the expansion draft in 2000 and hired her for her first head coaching gig in 2015.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” Krauskopf said in a team statement. “Stephanie is a 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 am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”

Krauskopf left the Fever in 2018 to become an assistant general manager for the Pacers. She returned to the Fever following this season, taking over after former president Allison Barber stepped down for a role outside with the Marvella Project.

Now, Krauskopf has lured White away from Connecticut. White’s appointment to the Fever’s coaching position comes after she parted ways with the Sun on Monday, despite being 55-25 in two years with the Sun, advancing to the WNBA semifinals both seasons, and having a year left on her contract.

“Kelly is certainly the architect of everything that’s gone on in the Indiana Fever franchise from day one,” White said of Krauskopf during the first round of the playoffs on Sept. 24. “For her to come back, it says how serious the organization is to taking the next step, and I think it shows Kelly’s love for the W, right, love and commitment to the W and to the Indiana Fever franchise. Certainly, there’s no one better to usher the Fever into this new era than Kelly.”

White told ESPN the reason she left Connecticut was because of proximity to her family — her exit interview following Connecticut’s loss in the semifinals was delayed because of a family emergency.

“So this has not been easy,” White told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Monday. “But certainly, at the end of the day, it’s tough for me being away from my family. So from a professional standpoint and a personal standpoint, I feel like it’s the best decision.”

White, her three children, and her partner, ESPN Monday Night Football sideline reporter Lisa Salters, are based in Nashville — a four-hour drive from Indianapolis. White’s hometown is West Lebanon, Ind., which is about 1.5 hours from Indianapolis.

White also works as an analyst for ESPN and the Big Ten Network in the WNBA offseason, commentating on NBA and college basketball games.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever hires Stephanie White as new head coach