Indiana Fever fans have been spun into a whirlwind of speculation, and at the center of it? Two words: Stephanie White. The Indiana native, current head coach of the Connecticut Sun, and rumored Fever top pick for the newly vacant head coach slot, has seemingly turned Caitlin Clark into her very own WNBA muse. And if you think that’s an exaggeration, just wait—White’s support for the Fever star could put your biggest sports crush to shame.
Christie Sides, the Fever’s coach who managed to lead the team to the playoffs for the first time in six years, was abruptly let go last Sunday. With Sides out, White’s name is rising to the top of the list faster than Clark racks up three-pointers. And if you ask White’s friends (or maybe the guy at the coffee shop), the timing is almost too perfect.
White, with her deep Indiana roots, has already had a lengthy relationship with the Fever: she played for them in the early 2000s, coached the team in 2015, and took them to the WNBA Finals in her first year. After leaving her role, she moved to the Connecticut Sun, but the connection to her home state—and possibly to Caitlin Clark—has remained stronger than ever. Rumor has it that when Clark had a slow rookie start (hey, it was only two games), White was ready to break out the pom-poms.
“I’m seeing all these comments about Clark struggling,” White said, practically rolling her eyes. “Come on, guys! She’s gonna be fine. Are we really judging a player off two games?” Spoken like a true coach—or maybe just a hopeful one? White’s praises kept coming, as she emphasized that Clark, who she referred to as a “student of the game,” has proven time and again that she learns and improves with every season.
The 22-year-old Fever guard was up against White’s Sun in the playoffs, and if you thought that’d make White go easy on the compliments, think again. She couldn’t help but admire Clark’s chemistry with her teammates, not to mention Kelsey Mitchell’s killer performance. “Kelsey Mitchell’s playing on another level,” White noted. “She and Clark are the kind of duo that makes a coach dream. But, uh, no particular coach in mind here, of course.”
Meanwhile, as the internet buzzes about her future, White’s responses have only fueled the fire. When asked if she’d consider returning to Indiana, White hinted that family priorities were her main focus. Family in Indiana, perhaps? It’s not exactly shutting down the speculation.
With the Fever still on the hunt for a head coach and White’s name being plastered on fans’ social media posts, the question remains: Could Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White really be the new WNBA power duo? Fever fans are holding their breath, and White’s playing it cool—for now.
