“We know how much of a legend she is in Indiana.” Following Stephanie White’s introductory press conference, Caitlin Clark highlighted her deep respect for her new head coach. White’s return to Indiana holds special significance, as she is a native and has strong ties to the franchise from her playing and assistant coaching days. Now, White has shared that joining the Fever and guiding Clark feels like an opportunity aligned with stars for her.

Shortly after her initial press conference, the Indiana Fever shared an exclusive one-on-one interview with their new head coach. During the talk, White became emotional when the interviewer pointed out the coincidence of both her and Clark wearing the same jersey number, No. 22, for the Fever.

“I mean it just feels like it was meant to be in a time, you know, in life um you know, I’ve lived a lot life since the last time I was here and you know certainly when this job came about, I’ve been going through some personal stuff too. So you know a time in life where it’s like you just you feel like things align, I feel like that right now,” stated White.

The 47-year-old had previously disclosed that she was facing a family emergency and going through a difficult period when rumors about her future with the Connecticut Sun began to circulate. However, White expressed that joining the Fever felt like a homecoming, making her truly excited about the opportunity.

“It’s like could it be that this is actually a possibility could it be that you feel grounded, that you feel centered, that you feel home. When it did come to fruition, it was just an amazing feeling,” added the Indiana native. White’s history with the Fever runs deep—she played for the team in their inaugural season and stayed until 2005. Later, she even returned as head coach for a stint in 2015-16 after bringing a championship home as an assistant alongside Lin Dunn, making this homecoming feel even more significant.

Now that the Fever have brought White back with a clear vision, she seems ready with a solid plan with Caitlin Clark already believing that she will greatly benefit the team.

Stephanie White shares her vision as a Caitlin Clark-approved head coach

At her introductory press conference with the Fever, Stephanie White got straight to the point, outlining her vision to elevate the team’s game. She spoke passionately about fostering a proactive style of play, calling the Fever a “high IQ team” with the potential to take charge on the court. “You got to give them the freedom, the confidence to believe in their abilities,” White explained, reinforcing her approach.

White shared that the Fever should adopt a “fast-paced, up-tempo” style of play, emphasizing the importance of maximizing the synergy between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. She noted that last season, they were among the WNBA’s top pick-and-roll duos, a foundation she’s eager to build upon.

“When you think about the great point guards and the post players… Our game, not just our league, our league… They’re gonna go as the greatest,” she said. Indeed, the post-guard duo was quite a pair to watch out for on the floor as they tricked the opponents with their clever pick-and-rolls.

With White’s game plan taking shape, Clark has already given her stamp of approval, recognizing White as the ideal choice to elevate the Fever’s performance. For this, she commented “Fevvvvv shooowwwwwww” on Indiana’s Instagram post announcing the new coach.

White’s experience in building teams that consistently outmatched the Fever gives her unique insight into the areas the team needs to strengthen. But for fans eager to see if she can fully bring her vision to life, the true test will come next season!