Fever announce former WNBA player Stephanie White as new head coach

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The Indiana Fever have hired Stephanie White as their next head coach. 

White, 47, is replacing Christie Sides, who went 20-20 last season and led the team to its first playoff berth since 2016. 

As a player, White won a national championship with Purdue in 1999 and then was a part of the Fever’s inaugural team in 2000 as a rookie. She played for them from 2000-2004.

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Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White watches from the sideline as they take on the Minnesota Lynx during Game 4 of the 2024 WNBA semifinals at Mohegan Sun Arena.  (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

White was a member of the Fever coaching staff from 2011-2016. She was an assistant coach during the team’s 2012 championship run. 

Going into the 2015 season, White was promoted to head coach, leading the Fever to a championship berth in her first year in 2015. 

"As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise," said Kelly Krauskopf, the Fever's president of basketball operations. 

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Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever drives against the Washington Mystics during an WNBA game at Conseco Fieldhouse May 31, 2003, in Indianapolis. (Ron Hoskins/WNBAE via Getty Images)

"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."

After leaving the Fever in 2016, she was head coach of Vanderbilt through 2021. In 2023, White returned to the pro ranks as head coach for the Connecticut Sun, where she was 55-23 with the team. 

"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," White said in a statement. 

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Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White during the first half against the Minnesota Lynx of Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA semifinals at Target Center.  (Matt Krohn/Imagn Images)

"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 already has something in common with her star player, Caitlin Clark. White wore No. 22 in her days as a player with the Fever, Clark’s current number. 

The Fever were the first of seven teams to fill a head coaching vacancy in the WNBA. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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