We Watched the 30-Minute Stephanie White Press Conference for You: Here’s Everything Indiana Fever Coach Said About Caitlin Clark & More
“Think about the momentum moving forward, where we wanted this league to be, where we still aspire for it to go, and just embrace this moment, embrace this opportunity, continue to help this team, this franchise, be better position ourselves for success,” Stephanie White said in her first interview to NBA Today since accepting the head coach position at the Indiana Fever. Though Christie Sides had taken the Fever to their first playoffs since 2016, coming back to White meant that the franchise was looking for changes.
While firing Sides, even the President of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf voiced for “maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana.” Therefore, White would be making some notable changes in accordance with their goals. And in her introductory press conference, the team mentioned just that.
Stephanie White wants to change the style of play
White opined that the Fever should now adopt a “fast pace, up-tempo” style of play. Throughout the season, the Fever were known for the backcourt that they formed with Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. However, a fast-paced play would mean more scoring opportunities for the Fever. Adding to that, the former Connecticut Sun coach mentioned building “quality depth and getting teammates better.” Plus, next season, with the addition of Golden State Valkyries, every team would play 44 games in the regular season, and so naturally, White was concerned about having top-notch rotations. She also pointed out that she will encourage players and position themselves to win the playoff series, something they couldn’t do this year.
Other than that, White also listed that they should be more creative offensively and utilize versatility. The 47-year-old expressed that she wanted her team to make plays since they are a “high IQ team.” “You got to give them the freedom, the confidence to believe in their abilities,” White said, backing her judgments. This certainly means that Clark would not be the only player making shots. Instead, much like how Lisa Bluder depended on Clark and the other players too, even White would like to groom a team where the No. 22 can relax at times.
Stephanie White reaffirms faith in Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston while agreeing with Kelly Krauskopf
Talking about the two ROTY of their respective season, White enunciated, “You gotta be the one impacting… Impacting games, impacting your team,” while complimenting that the two have “lead the way.” But she also mentioned that there is room for growth. “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.” With that, White also expounded that she wanted the two to have the greatest longevity with the Fever. Now, that means the team will be built around Boston and Clark. However, Krauskopf listed her offseason plans from a management perspective.
Given that they have the two greatest players, as pointed out by White, the team, according to Krauskopf, would like to add “another player” to the “roster to make an impact.” According to her, she would try to make the most of the expansion draft. And lastly referring to Krauskopf’s reason for firing Sides, White appeared confident in going for the WNBA title from next season onwards. “The future is so bright and our goal to hang another banner in @GainbridgeFH,” White stated. Previously, the Fever had won a Championship title in 2012. But that was the one and only instance. Hence, going forward, White would make sure that they play in a way that could get them the silverware.
Hopefully, White, along with players, will be able to fulfill their dream. And it remains to be seen how Clark and Boston will take on the leadership roles and tackle opponents after being made the center of the Fever game.
