Stephanie White becomes coach to Caitlin Clark, homecoming fever following Sun's departure

Stephanie White returns home.

The Indiana Fever announced White as their next head coach on Friday, just days after she left the Sun after two seasons and a trip to the WNBA Finals.

White, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, is an Indiana native and former star guard at Purdue – and was also previously a player, assistant and head coach for the Fever.

Head coach Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun watches against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter of Game 5 of the Semifinals during the WNBA playoffs at Target Center on October 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty Images

She will now coach the Fever's No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Caitlin Clark, who has become a global phenomenon.

In college basketball and later the WNBA, Clark attracted television and arena crowds previously unheard of in women's basketball.

She was the nearly unanimous choice for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award last season.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Kelly Krauskopf, Fever President of Basketball Operations. “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 am quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. I am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is better positioned to take our group of players to the next level.”

Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) possesses the ball in the first half against the Connecticut Sun. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

White coached the Sun to a 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 to Indiana and lead the Fever at such a pivotal moment in this franchise’s history, as well as such an important time in women’s athletics as a whole,” White said. “This franchise has always been committed to winning and I look forward to working every day to bring another WNBA title to the biggest basketball fans in the world.”

The Fever were 20-20 last season and ranked sixth among the 12 WNBA teams.

The Fever released 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 firing, adding a peace emoji.

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