Swoopes Attempt to Sabotage Mitchell & Caitlin Clark Backfires As She Turn Coach White Against Them

Caitlin Clark showed her true character in private chat with new coach Stephanie White

Indiana Fever appointed Stephanie White as head coach earlier this month, and she has already been in touch with the team’s star player, Caitlin Clark.

Caitlin Clark has taken the WNBA by storm (Image: Getty)

Indiana Fever comeback queen Stephanie White says she’s raring to start coaching WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark in the upcoming season. White, a former Fever player, is poised for her third stint at the helm of the team after stepping in for the recently ousted Christie Sides.

Having played four seasons with the Fever and served as an assistant and head coach from 2011 until 2016, White is no stranger to the courts of Indiana. However, this latest spell in charge promises to be a completely different challenge due to the WNBA’s recent transformative growth and the hype surrounding prodigy Clark.

White, 47, has wasted no time in reaching out to her new leading player and shared that among Clark’s notable qualities, one in particular stands out. “Yeah, I spoke with Caitlin last night,” White told NBA Today’s Malika Andrews when asked if she’d already spoken to Clark and what that conversation entailed. “[It’s] just overall excitement.

“I’ve been watching Caitlin play since she was an eighth grader when I was coaching at the college [level] and covering her games. [It’s] just an exciting time for me. [I’m] very excited to be working with her and this young team.”

ESPN reporter Andrews emphasised the striking coincidence that Clark now dons the No. 22 for the Fever – the same number White wore during her own WNBA stint in Indiana. White graciously conceded that Clark wears the jersey far better, and went on to commend the reigning Rookie of the Year for her singular focus on playing rather than the mounting hype surrounding her.

Stephanie White is back in charge of Indiana Fever (Image: David Berding/Getty Images)

“I just can’t wait,” White beamed. “She’s just a student of the game. She loves the game of basketball. She has been so great in how she has handled all of the attention. She just wants to play, she just wants to win, and I’m looking forward to coaching players like that in this young team and taking our next steps.”

During her tenure as assistant to Indiana head coach Lin Dunn, White was part of the team’s ultimate triumph at the WNBA Championship back in 2012. Ascending to the top role, she led the Fever to a second-place finish against the Minnesota Lynx in 2015, and then resigned subsequent to their first-round play-offs exit the year after.

She now returns to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the back of Indiana marking another first-round departure last season. However, she’ll have a major weapon at her disposal to right that wrong in Clark, who is already sending all the right signals to her new boss. It certainly seems the young talent is remaining humble and not letting the focus around her get to her head.