As soon as rookie phenomenon Caitlin Clark arrived in Indiana, the Fever became one of the must-watch teams in the NBA. The team got off to a somewhat rough start, but between Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and NaLyssa Smith, there was just too much talent to not be intrigued by the Fever.
Plus, the Fever found their rhythm eventually and went to the playoffs after finishing the season in sixth place. As is often the case for young teams, the Fever struggled in the playoffs and lost to the Connecticut Sun in just two games.
Despite being swept in the playoffs, Caitlin Clark’s rookie season was a success. Arenas regularly sold out with people wanting to watch her, she set record after record and took home the Rookie of the Year award.
With that kind of talent, the Fever have to take the next step, and it was decided that head coach Christie Sides was not the right person to lead the team throughout the process.
The Fever are preparing for the next level
To replace Christie Sides, the Fever hired Stephanie White, bringing her back for her third stint with the team. White grew up in Indiana, playing high school and college basketball there, and first joined the Fever in 2000 as a WNBA player. She stayed with the franchise for four years and eventually returned in 2011 as an assistant coach, working her way up to the head coaching position.
Now, she will be back to coach Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and co. The Fever have not played a game under their new head coach yet, but the hiring already looks like an absolute win.
White just won the Coach of the Year award in 2023 and led the Connecticut Sun to two consecutive semifinal appearances. She is one of the best coaches in the game and could be just what some of the best young talent in the league needs to take the next step.
Considering how good Clark and Boston already are, the Fever need to show them that they can build a winning team around them right now. White brings several crucial skills to the table when it comes to transforming the Fever from a mere playoff team into a possible title contender.
For one, White has coached high-profile players before and has much more experience coaching in the playoffs than Sides. Most importantly, White coached one of the best defensive teams in the league last season. The Fever ranked 11th in defensive rating for the regular season and desperately need to improve on that end of the floor. White should be able to help with that.
A coach’s theoretical fit means little without the support of a team’s star players, however. The Fever will go as far as Clark and Boston take them, so it is important that both are happy with the new coach.
So far, it seems that the excitement is high among Fever players. Clark reacted positively on social media, reposting the Fever’s announcement on her Instagram story, for one, and some of her teammates quickly followed suit.
Obviously, White still has to show how much she can really do for this team, but so far, she looks like the perfect hire to take the Fever to the next level.
Grade: A