Stephanie White will coach Caitlin Clark, Fever upon returning home after Sun’s departure

Stephanie White returns home.

The Indiana Fever announced White as its next head coach on Friday, just days after she left the Sun after two seasons and one WNBA Finals appearance.

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

Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White looks on 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 Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, who has become a global phenomenon.

In college basketball and later in the WNBA, Clark has drawn crowd sizes on TV and in arenas previously unheard of in women’s basketball.

She was the near-unanimous choice for last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf. “Stephanie is 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 convinced that there is no one who better understands our culture or is better equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”

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

White coached the Sun to a sweep in the best-of-three first-round victory over the Fever in the 2024 playoffs.

She was part of the Fever 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 time in the history of this franchise, but also during such an important time in women’s athletics,” said White. “This franchise has always been committed to winning and always will be. I look forward to working every day to deliver another WNBA title to the greatest basketball fans in the world.”

The Fever were 20-20 this past season and ranked sixth out of twelve 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