WNBA’s Fever Name White as New Head Coach

Stephanie White is coming back to the Hoosier State to take care of some unfinished business.

The Indiana Fever announced on Friday the team has named White as head coach. White, a West Lebanon, Indiana native and Purdue alumna, returns to the organization where she spent six years, as head coach in 2015-16, and as an assistant from 2011-14, under Lin Dunn on the sidelines.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf. “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.”

“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,” said White. “This franchise has 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 spent the past two seasons as coach of the Connecticut Sun, where she led the team to back-to-back WNBA Semifinals appearances and posted a sparkling record of 55-25 during that time. During the 2023 campaign, she wrapped up the coaching accolades, being named WNBA Coach of the Year and the Associated Press Coach of the Year, as well as a head coach in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.

White will enter 2025 with a combined 17 seasons of valuable experience as a player and coach in the WNBA that her players can draw from. Prior to Connecticut, she spent two seasons as the head coach of the Fever, compiling a 37-31 overall record and a 6-6 playoff record, including a trip to the 2015 WNBA Finals and a 2016 postseason berth. Before becoming a head coach for the Fever, White spent four seasons as an assistant coach (2011-14), most notably helping lead Indiana to its first WNBA Championship in 2012.

White has also been head coach for the Vanderbilt Lady Commadores (2016-21), an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky (2007-10) during their infancy state, and an assistant coach at the collegiate level at Toledo (2005-07), Kansas State (2004-05) and Ball State (2003-04).

White played a handful of seasons in the WNBA, spending the lions’ share of her career with the Fever, who acquired her ahead of the franchise’s inaugural season in 2000. She currently sits in the top 20 in franchise history in games played (112), assists (225), steals (115) and three-point field goals made (92).

White also had a standout collegiate career, playing four seasons for the Purdue Boilermakers from 1995-99. During her senior campaign, she led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA National Championship, under Carolyn Peck, the first African-American female coach to win a NCAA Division I basketball title, while also picking up Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and Wade Trophy honors. At Purdue, White was known for her supreme scoring ability with 2,182 career points and was inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

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