Stephanie White breaks silence on sudden Sun departure

Stephanie White's statement

Sep 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Lynx of game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Lynx of game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Connecticut Sun parted ways with head coach Stephanie White on Monday in a rather surprising move. White had been linked to the Indiana Fever head coaching job, however. Rumors are swirling that White may now end up in Indiana, as the Fever parted ways with Christie Sides on Sunday. White, though, did not address the rumors in her statement after the news was announced on Monday.

"It's not an easy decision to leave Connecticut, but I think the best one for my family and my career," White said, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN. "It's meant a lot to me -- I'm so grateful to Jen and the organization. It's a top-notch organization. For me to be able to return to coaching -- which I didn't know if it would be possible -- with such a great team and coaching staff, it's meant a lot to me."

The Sun played well in 2024. Their future is still bright, so leaving Connecticut was not an easy decision.

"So this has not been easy," White continued. "But certainly, at the end of the day, it's tough for me being away from my family. So from a professional standpoint and a personal standpoint, I feel like it's the best decision."

There are now seven head coach openings around the WNBA. A trend has begun of WNBA teams moving on from their head coaches. If Stephanie White wants to continue coaching in the league, she will not have much trouble finding a job. She has already been linked to multiple teams. White is one of the best coaches in the WNBA, so one has to imagine that a number of the teams with openings will be open to the idea of hiring her.

Stephanie White's WNBA future

White played in the WNBA for the Fever and she has also previously coached the team. Additionally, White is from Indiana, so the potential fit with the Fever makes sense. Still, the Fever will consider all of their options before making a final decision.

Indiana needs a head coach who can lead Indiana's core of players with Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston leading the way.

White will likely take her time before joining a team, assuming she does have interest in coaching at the WNBA level in 2025. Nothing is guaranteed as of this story's writing, however, so this will be a situation worth closely monitoring.