INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever have found their new head coach.
Stephanie White, former head coach of the Connecticut Sun, has been selected as Indiana’s new leader on the sidelines. ESPN was the first to report the hire on Friday afternoon, with the Fever later confirming the news.
White is plenty familiar with the Hoosier State and the Fever franchise.
An Indiana native from West Lebanon, White was named Miss Indiana Basketball and USA Today National Player of the Year in 1995 while at Seeger High School. She was then a standout player at Purdue University before becoming a part of the Fever’s inaugural roster in 2000.
After leaving the WNBA as a player, White was an assistant coach for the Fever from 2011 to 2015. After Lin Dunn’s retirement, White served as the Fever’s head coach for two seasons.
“I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf. “Stephanie is a part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff.”
After leaving the Fever, White went on to coach the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team for five seasons. She then returned to the pros in 2023 as the head coach of the Connecticut Sun, winning WNBA Coach of the Year in her first season back.
“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,” said White. “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.”
White replaces former Fever head coach Christie Sides, who was let go from the team on Sunday. The Sun then announced on Monday that White was out as head coach after two seasons, freeing her up for the position in Indiana.
White is inheriting a talented young roster after the Fever made the WNBA playoffs last season for the first time since 2016. Indiana is home of the league’s last two Rookie of the Year winners Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, the latter of whom finished fourth in MVP voting last year.
An introductory press conference for White is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
