Stephanie White made one factor clear in her introductory presser as the brand new head coach of the Indiana Fever: she’s thrilled by the chance to teach stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston — and sees limitless potential for what the pairing back-to-back Rookies of the 12 months can accomplish long-term.
“These two are the most effective — there’s so many issues that they do effectively proper now… however there’s a lot room for progress,” White stated.
“When you consider the nice level guards and put up gamers that our sport — not simply our league — however our sport has seen, they’re going to go down as the best.”
Simply take heed to how Stephanie White speaks about Aliyah and Caitlin.
“As an athlete that is what you need. You wish to be the one that’s the hunted. The one which has the chance to impression…These two are the most effective…They’re gonna go down as the best.” pic.twitter.com/8yltaczBZI
— correlation (@nosyone4) November 4, 2024
It’s a daring declare, nevertheless it’s one backed up by each All-Star’s on-court manufacturing up to now. Boston, the No. 1 decide in 2023, has averaged 14.2 level on 55.2% capturing in two seasons, grabbing 8.9 rebounds per sport and elevating her play within the postseason.
Clark, the No. 1 decide in 2024, loved a historic rookie marketing campaign, averaging 19.2 factors and a WNBA-record 8.4 assists per sport. Clark’s record-setting marketing campaign ranks among the many most spectacular in league historical past.
Collectively — and alongside the vital contributions of Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and others — the Fever made the playoffs for the primary time since 2017. Although they fell to the Connecticut Solar within the first spherical of the playoffs, White stated that preliminary run will show useful long-term.
“There’s by no means an alternative to expertise,” she stated. “This can be a younger roster who gained useful expertise all through the course of this season. Having playoff expertise is so essential. You simply by no means know what you don’t know.”
Clark, Boston, and Hull had been all in attendance for the introductory press convention. It actually wasn’t their first time assembly White — all three confronted her Solar group within the playoffs — however this time, the dynamic was vastly completely different.
“You’ve obtained extremely gifted gamers proper right here in Caitlin and Aliyah and Lexi — a group that was extremely enjoyable to look at, very powerful to game-plan towards,” White stated, gesturing to the entrance row. “So I’m glad I’m going to have the ability to work with you guys, work with you women, as an alternative of getting to consider cease you.”
The Fever will grapple with plenty of questions heading into subsequent season, together with whether or not Mitchell shall be again, and what different function gamers they’ll re-sign or recruit. Notably, White named Hull — who averaged 5.5 factors per sport and shot 47.1% from three throughout the season — a core member of the group shifting ahead.
With a view to encompass and elevate the Fever’s returners, White stated the precedence could be to determine function gamers who’re completely happy to play their roles round Clark, Boston, and Hull.
“Constructing high quality depth goes to be essential — when you’ve a core three like we now have, surrounding them with gamers who’re going to fill the roles, actually, in the beginning, and who’re going to embrace their roles secondly, and who give us the most effective alternative for fulfillment by complementing what they do actually, very well,” White stated.
An Indiana Fever homecoming for Stephanie White
For Stephanie White, it’s well-chronicled that accepting the Indiana Fever head teaching was a return dwelling. White coached the Connecticut Solar for the previous two seasons, however has spent most of her basketball profession within the Hoosier state.
“It’s going to be actually exhausting for me to not get emotional as we speak, however I believe for all of those folks, all these acquainted faces within the constructing as we speak, that is coming dwelling for me,” White stated. “It has been such an expertise with this franchise for practically 25 years — from Day 1. The chance to return dwelling and to steer this younger, thrilling gifted group.”
“It’s going to be actually exhausting for me to not get emotional right here as we speak…. That is coming dwelling for me… and the chance to return dwelling to steer this younger, excited and gifted group.”
: @IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/C00QBQfzcz
— Vanshay Murdock (@VanshayM) November 4, 2024
Kelly Krauskopf, who grew to become the Fever’s president in October, stated that the choice to let go of Christie Sides — who had coached the Fever for 2 seasons — was rooted within the need to win as quick as potential.
“My problem was: the place do we have to make enhancements? The place can we get higher? And the way can we expedite this course of?” Krauskopf stated. “As a result of, what I noticed within the two years of watching the place I sat, Christie Sides did an incredible job.”
However, Krauskopf was had a long-standing relationship with White, and had some preliminary conversations along with her as soon as she realized the embellished coach could be accessible and desirous about a return.
“Once I had the chance to speak to her, it was like fortuitous — one thing that I simply couldn’t imagine the timing,” Krauskopf stated.
Sides was fired on October twenty seventh. The following day, White formally parted methods with the Solar.
“The timeline was accelerated, to be sincere,” Krauskopf stated. “There was a chance to attempt to take expertise, take a look at how can we maximize this group of younger gamers, the assets we now have to achieve success, and transfer that ahead. We had decided that we had been going to maneuver on and that was powerful as a result of it doesn’t take away from something that Christie did and what that teaching employees did. And, to make use of her phrases, she left it higher than she discovered it.”
Go away it higher than you discovered it.✌
— Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) October 27, 2024
For White, the transition from head coach of the Solar to the Fever was fast. Only a few hours after she was formally introduced because the Indiana’s new head coach on Friday, she was calling a Cavaliers-Magic NBA sport in her different job as an ESPN commentator.
“It seems like the celebrities simply completely aligned,” White stated. “So, whereas at occasions there’s nervousness via transition, there simply hasn’t been for me. It’s been very calming, it feels excellent. This franchise has been part of my DNA from Day One, and can all the time be. So, when issues are supposed to be, it feels actually good.”
White additionally praised how the Fever’s possession group has all the time invested within the group.
“This can be a franchise that for every second within the league’s historical past, we’ve all the time had what we’ve wanted to succeed,” White stated. “And because the needle strikes, and as issues modified, and as they’ve continued to vary so quickly, we’ve saved up with that.”
A WNBA championship is the last word aim
Stephanie White has been round WNBA basketball lengthy sufficient to know that it’ll take time to place the items collectively and actualize the core’s potential. However, she additionally wasn’t shy about clearly figuring out the last word aim: a championship.
“We’ve seen on this league’s historical past how troublesome it’s to win a championship — the margin for error is small,” White stated. “While you’re constructing groups, it’s not nearly getting the most effective gamers, it’s about getting the most effective complement of gamers who match collectively, who play effectively inside each other, who work to deliver the most effective out of each other.”
She feels assured this Fever group will get it achieved.
“The longer term is so vibrant, and our final aim is to hold one other banner within the Fieldhouse,” White stated. “And our final aim is to return again right here after we win that championship and have a good time once more like we did in 2012.”
