Caitlin Clark all-in on Indiana Fever hiring head coach Stephanie White | On Her Turf | NBC Sports

Indiana Fever to undergo big change under Stephanie White that will affect Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark and her team-mates will be working under a new head coach next season

WNBA icon Caitlin Clark is the face of the Indiana Fever, but she could be in for a rude awakening next season after the franchise appointed Stephanie White as head coach

WNBA prodigy Caitlin Clark has been a breath of fresh air for the Indiana Fever – and it looks like her new coach Stephanie White could be one too.

Clark, 22, has emerged as women’s basketball’s brightest star following a stellar first season with the Fever that earned her the Rookie of the Year award. Despite her outstanding contributions, however, the team failed in their quest to clinch their first WNBA championship since 2012, bowing out in an early playoff tussle against the Connecticut Sun.

After firing Christie Sides, the Fever unveiled White, 47, as her replacement. And according to NBC Sports pundit Terrika Foster-Brasby, the former Connecticut coach could have a swift and profound influence on her new team, both on and off the court.

Fever supporters have developed a reputation for having a sour outlook, and Brasby thinks that could change with White at the helm. “She’s most certainly not going to stand for any of the negativity that had been associated with Fever fans,” she said while speaking to On Her Turf.

“And we know it’s not all the fans, but there were certain ones who use the Fever name to kind of spew things that just do not stand for what the WNBA stands for. Stephanie White is always outspoken on those sorts of things, and that’s never going to be something she’ll put up with. She’s never going to tolerate it.”

Brasby also feels White will build optimism and morale in the Fever locker room, adding: “From an off the court standpoint, I think the culture will absolutely change. I didn’t cover Indiana on a regular basis to know whether there was a negative culture there, but White brings a culture of winning, of confidence, of understanding your public face.”

On the court, Brasby predicts a transformation in Indiana’s defensive game. “I know one thing, Steph White loves a quick, fast-paced offense,” she said. “It was difficult to do that at Connecticut – they were an older team. Well this is a much younger team, so that offensive style should actually work well here.

Stephanie White is being tipped to change the culture at the Fever both on and off the court ( 
Image:
David Berding/Getty Images)

“The other thing we say with Connecticut was their commitment to defense… and that defensive presence was very important to their success. That means that this Fever team is going to have to buy in on being stronger defensively, no matter how well we want to give Caitlin [Clark] her flowers, and we should.

“We also have to be honest that their defense was not the strongest for this Fever team, and specifically Caitlin Clark. That’s where I think Steph will make an immediate impact. She will implement a structure that everyone is going to have to be committed to.”

This implies that Clark’s game could undergo a significant transformation next season, as White aims to establish a reputation for solid defense and organization at the franchise. Will this be beneficial or detrimental to the young prodigy? Only time will tell.