Exclusive: Stephanie White on her return home, back to the Fever, and coaching Caitlin Clark — 'It feels like all the stars have aligned'
Stephanie White was hired as Fever head coach on Friday. She talked with Fieldhouse Files about the process, leaving Connecticut, returning home, being closer to family, and coaching Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever mean business.
They are returning to their roots, leaning on those who were there when the foundation set, and all-in on maximizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they have with Caitlin Clark on the roster.
All eyes are on the Fever — more than any WNBA team ever before. New attendance highs, historic TV ratings, record new partnerships and merchandise sales, etc.
So one month after bringing back Kelly Krauskopf, the original architect of the franchise, Krauskopf has hired Stephanie White for a third time.
First, she brought her on as a player for the inaugural season, and now for the second time as head coach.
“Stephanie is a part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I’m quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style,” Krauskopf said in a statement. “I am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”
White, who’s from Indiana and has had so much success there, spent the last two seasons as Connecticut Sun head coach. They were organized, experienced, and had an elite defense. In fact, they were No. 1 this past season.
The pull back to Indy was too much for White.
“I couldn't have imagined this scenario,” White told Fieldhouse Files in her first interview since accepting the position. She was in her hotel room in Cleveland, there for her other job — with ESPN. She’ll be the game analyst for Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night.
“For me, it feels like all the stars have aligned. I think I told you that every time I came back to Indiana, it just always felt like coming home. And now I am coming home, and it's just such an incredible opportunity, and I couldn't be more excited.”