Stephanie White is back home (as she calls it)! No doubt, Indiana Fever and its players couldn’t be happier. While the franchise veteran has a storied history with the Fever, this return is different. She’s back with a loaded resume and a vision that could bring Indiana back to championship form. But if Fever is so close to her heart, why did she leave in the first place?

In simple words, her departure boiled down to family and financial priorities back in 2016. At the time, her position wasn’t secure with a long-term contract, and WNBA coaching salaries weren’t exactly supportive for a family with three young kids. 

“It was a different time in the WNBA; we didn’t have a long-term contract. We certainly weren’t making very much money,” she explained. She needed stability for her family. Plus, the lure of a college community and the chance to build up a team at Vanderbilt felt like the perfect match. 

Expressing her desire to be back at college, she said, “I missed the energy of being on a college campus, the community that you have on a college campus.” Also, with players usually overseas in the offseason, loneliness crept in during quiet months. “It got a little lonely sometimes when you are connected to a team, connected to a franchise, and everybody’s gone,” she said.

Fast forward to today, her return to Indiana isn’t just a nostalgic homecoming; it’s her coming back with years of growth. She reflected, “I grew a lot, I learned a lot.” And she sure did. After her time at Vanderbilt, she took on the head coach role for the Connecticut Sun, where she notched a 55-25 record and even led the team to the league’s semifinals twice. 

Along the way, she also earned the 2023 Coach of the Year title. But Steph’s ties to Fever go deep. After all, she’s been part of this state from her high school days as Miss Indiana Basketball, NCAA championship with Purdue to being a player on the Fever’s inaugural team in 2000.

Later, the 47-year-old stepped in as an assistant coach before her promotion to head coach in 2015. She led the Fever to the WNBA Finals, almost claiming the title before falling short to the Minnesota Lynx. But this time, she’s bringing everything she’s learned back to the team. Something that Caitlin Clark believes will be just the right additions. “I felt like her teams always had the best scouts against us… Hopefully, in turn, now that she knows how to stop us, that should be a good way to know how to [help us] beat certain things as well.”

So White has her role cut out for her and she is moving without a break.

Stephanie White knows exactly what the Indiana Fever needs

White is clear-eyed about what’s missing from the Fever’s roster: playoff experience. She emphasized that while young players bring energy, “There’s never a substitute for experience.” 

So, what’s White’s plan? It starts with building depth. She and team president Kelly Krauskopf are already strategizing for the Fever’s future, discussing roster moves and evaluating players. “Amber, Kelly, and I are just talking about players and evaluations… building quality depth is going to be important,” she revealed.

It’s very well known that the Fever’s core is promising. Aliyah Boston, last season’s Rookie of the Year, has been a force with an average of 14 points and 8.9 rebounds. 2024 ROTY Caitlin Clark has broken multiple records in her very first season, recording 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Kelsey Mitchell has been consistent with 19.2 points and 2.5 rebounds. But despite this, the team is in serious need of playoff experienced players who can guide younger ones on clutch plays. Sure, the magic won’t happen overnight, but the coach has her eyes set on long-term growth and championship aspirations.