Indiana hires Stephanie White as coach to manage Kaitlin Clark and the Fever

Connecticut Suns head coach Stephanie White reacts after a foul called on the Suns during the first half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis.

*Abby Parr/AP Photo*

The Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White as a coach on Friday, putting her in charge of the team under WNBA Rookie of the Year Kaitlyn Clark.

White spent the past two seasons as the Connecticut Sun’s head coach before parting ways with the team earlier this week.

The former Purdue star served on the Fever’s coaching staff from 2011 to 2016, including as head coach the past two seasons. The Fever won the WNBA title in 2012 with White on the roster.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever at such a pivotal time in the history of this franchise and at such an important time in all of women’s athletics,” White said in a statement. “This franchise has been 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 Christy Sides, who led the Fever to a 20-20 record last season and the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2016.

The organization announced it was moving on from Sides, who served as head coach for two seasons before being fired last Sunday.

Indiana became the first of seven head coaching vacancies in the league to be filled.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf. “Stephanie is a part of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I am very familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. I am confident that there is no one who understands our culture better or is more equipped to take our group of players to the next level.”