The Indiana Fever’s next head coach could very well be a familiar face, as Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun is widely rumored to land in Indiana after the franchise fired Christie Sides.
White has played for and coached the Fever in the past, leading the team to the WNBA Finals in her first season as head coach in 2015. Her coaching experience and leadership qualities aside, White made some thoughtful comments about Caitlin Clark early in the WNBA season that resonated with Fever fans.
Clark’s arrival to the W last May was immediately tinged with controversy as veterans in the league didn’t exactly welcome the rookie with open arms. Amid a slow start to the Fever guard’s first pro season, White defended Clark during a team press conference.
"When I’m looking at all these things that people are talking about with Caitlin Clark, it’s like, guys, chill out," White said. "She’s gonna be fine. It’s two games in, are you kidding me? She’s a student of the game, she got better every year, you’re not going to just absorb all of the new information that’s coming at you in two games, in two weeks. It takes time. And she will. I have no doubt about it."
Stephanie White telling everyone to chill out on Caitlin Clark after her first 2 games. She’s going to be the perfect coach for the Fever. pic.twitter.com/wYY0SeysAT
— chris (@cxrtichris) October 27, 2024
"And these are also points that coaches address, ‘Hey, let’s continue to work on this,’" continued White. "It’s really hard to work on some of those things in season, so this might be an offseason thing, right? Let’s continue to play to our strengths, let’s find different ways to get the ball to our players, and then when we get time in the offseason then we’ll work on that next step or next level."
Some coaches’ comments on Clark didn’t age particularly well toward the end of her historic Rookie of the Year campaign. White’s remarks, though, aged like fine wine, and many Fever fans are likely crossing their fingers hoping to see Clark and White team up next season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephanie White’s Old Comments on Caitlin Clark Resurface Amid Fever Coaching Buzz.
