Stephanie White is returning home.
The Indiana Fever announced White as its next head coach on Friday, just days after she left the Sun following two seasons and one WNBA Finals appearance.
White, who was the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, is an Indiana native and former star guard at Purdue — and she was also previously a player, assistant and head coach of the Fever.
She will now coach the Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark, who’s become a global phenomenon.
In college basketball and later the WNBA, Clark has drawn audience sizes on TV and in arenas that were previously unheard of in women’s basketball.
She was the near-unanimous choice for this past season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, 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, so I’m quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. 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 coached the Sun to a sweep in the best-of-three first round series victory over the Fever in the 2024 playoffs.
She was on the Fever’s coaching staff in 2012 when they won the WNBA championship.
“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.”
The Fever were 20-20 this past season, ranked sixth out of the 12 WNBA teams.
The Fever fired Christie Sides last week after two seasons with the team, and one with Clark.
“Leave it better than you found it,” Sides wrote in a post on X in response to the dismissal, adding a peace emoji.
