Indiana Fever hires Stephanie White as head coach

Indiana Fever hires Stephanie White as head coach

White will hold an introductory press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday at 3:00 p.m. ET

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever announced Friday that the team has named Stephanie White as head coach. White, a native of West Lebanon, Indiana, and Purdue graduate, returns to the franchise, where she spent six seasons (as head coach in 2015-16 and as assistant coach in 2011-14) on the sidelines.

“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.”

“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.”

White spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Connecticut Sun, where she led the team to consecutive WNBA semifinal appearances and compiled a 55-25 record during that time. During the 2023 season, she was named the WNBA Coach of the Year and the Associated Press Coach of the Year, as well as the head coach of the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.

White will enter 2025 with a total of 17 seasons of experience as a player and coach in the WNBA. Before Connecticut, she was the head coach of the Indiana Fever for two seasons, compiling a 37-31 overall record and a 6-6 playoff record, including a trip to the 2015 WNBA Finals and a berth in the 2016 postseason. Before becoming head coach the Fever, White served as an assistant coach for four seasons (2011-14), most notably helping lead Indiana to its first WNBA championship in 2012.

White also served as head coach at Vanderbilt (2016-21), assistant coach at Chicago Sky (2007-10) and assistant coach at the collegiate level at Toledo (2005-07) and Kansas State (2004-05). and Ball State (2003-04).

As a player, White played five seasons in the WNBA and spent much of her career with the Fever, which they won before the franchise's inaugural season in 2000. It currently ranks in the top 20 in franchise history in games played (112). , assists (225), steals (115) and three-point field goals (92).

White also had a standout college career, playing four seasons for Purdue from 1995 to 1999. During her senior career, she led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA National Championship while winning Big Ten Conference Player of the Year honors and the Wade Trophy. At Purdue, White scored 2,182 career points and was inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

As a player at Seeger High School, White was named the USA Today National Player of the Year, a WBCA High School All-American and MVP of the WBCA All-American Game. She was a three-time AP All-State selection and set the IHSAA girls basketball record with 2,869 career points, including a single-game high of 66 points.