Fever's Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston's immediate responses to Stephanie White's hiring, is this really true (PO)

Just weeks after firing Christie Sides, the Indiana Fever have a new head coach. Eight years after her last stint with the team, the Fever will bring back former Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White in a move that gained the approval of All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.

The two foundational pieces of the Fever are excited about the hiring of Stephanie White

White, 47, started her coaching journey in Indianapolis with the Fever in 2015. She led the team to its second-ever WNBA Finals appearance in her first year and a first-round playoff exit in her second. White left the Fever to coach Vanderbilt for five years before returning to the WNBA in 2023 with the Sun.

With the Sun, White had two winning seasons that both resulted in a second-place finish in the East and a loss in the semifinals. During her time with the team, White coached Alyssa Thomas to two MVP-level seasons and Dijonai Carrington to winning the Most Improved Player award in 2024. White was also named the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year.

While Connecticut did not officially fire White, the organization chose not to extend her contract. Following her release, she became arguably the top available head coach in the WNBA.

Stephanie White’s reunion with the Fever

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Since White left the Fever in 2016, it has been a downhill slide for the organization ever since. The team fell off a cliff with Dana “Pokey” Chatman at the helm in her relief and was not revived until Clark’s arrival in 2024 as arguably the most-hyped prospect in women’s basketball history.

Even with Boston and Clark on the roster — the No. 1 overall picks in 2023 and 2024, respectively — the team could not get over the hump and end the year with a winning record. Most of the blame was placed on Sides, who ended her run with the Fever with an overall record of 33-47 across two seasons.

White’s return to Indianapolis will be her second reunion with the team. Her first stint as head coach was her initial homecoming after spending four years playing for the team from 2000 to 2004. She would retire after the 2004 season before transitioning into coaching.

Though born and raised in Danville, Illinois, White has spent a considerable amount of her life in Indiana. She played collegiately at Purdue, winning the Wade Trophy in 1999. White’s head coach at Purdue, Lin Dunn, hired her as an assistant with the Fever in 2011.