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Indiana Fever hires former Sun coach Stephanie White to replace Christie Sides

Posted on by Vaseline

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 13: Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White watches the action during the game against the Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center on September 13, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Sun defeated Mercury 88-69. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, user agrees to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Stephanie White led the Connecticut Sun to a combined record of 55-25 in two seasons as head coach. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever have hired Stephanie White as their new head coach for the 2025 season, the team announced Friday.

White coached the Connecticut Sun for two seasons, leading the team to a combined record of 55-25 and two consecutive playoff appearances. She won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2023, her first year in Connecticut.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” Indiana president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf said in a statement. “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 confident there is no one who understands our culture better or is better equipped to lead our player group to the next level.”

“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,” White said in the statement from the team.

White replaces Christie Sides, who was fired by the Fever on October 27 after two seasons. Sides led Indiana to its first playoff appearance in eight years this past season before being swept in the first round by White’s Sun.

After weeks of speculation about White’s future, the Sun announced on October 28 that the team and White had parted ways in what appeared to be a mutual decision. Reports circulated that White had spoken to other teams about her future.

Following those conversations, White now returns to Indiana, where she coached for six seasons, starting as an assistant in 2011. She was eventually promoted to head coach of the team in 2015 and spent two seasons in that position before leaving to coach Vanderbilt. basketball.

White is also from Indiana and was a standout women’s basketball player at Purdue; she spent most of her five-season WNBA career with the Fever before becoming a coach.

The Fever’s main young stars, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, both seem happy to have White join the team, reposting the coaching announcement on their Instagram stories.

White told ESPN earlier this week that the choice to leave Connecticut was made for both professional and personal reasons. “It is not an easy decision to leave Connecticut, but I believe it is the best one for my family and my career,” White told ESPN.

In addition to White joining the team, Indiana will begin next season with a new front office, with Kelly Krauskopf hired as president in September and Amber Cox hired as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager in October.