The Connecticut Sun announced on Monday that they have parted ways with head coach Stephanie White. The announcement comes after the Indiana Fever parted ways with head coach Christie Sides on Sunday. White, despite previously being under contract with the Sun, was immediately linked to the Fever's head coach opening given her history with the team. The Sun's decision to part ways with White is destined to add even more fuel to the rumors.
White is originally from Indiana. She spent most of her career in the WNBA with the Fever and even coached the team for two seasons. However, it is more than her history with the Fever that is causing the rumors.
White is one of the best coaches in the WNBA. She found success in Connecticut with the Sun, and she is an established head coach in the league. The Fever need someone to not only lead the team on the floor, but Indiana needs a head coach who can deal with the pressure of coaching a star like Caitlin Clark.
Clark's presence draws no shortage of attention. Christie Sides certainly found that out, as almost every basketball move she made was closely evaluated. The Fever coaching job is going to receive interest, but the added pressure of coaching in Indiana right now could turn some candidates away.
Again, White is one of the best coaches in the WNBA. As a result, she will probably receive interest from multiple teams. After all, there are now seven head coach openings in the WNBA. With more than half the league searching for their next head coach, White is going to have no problem finding her next job. The question is whether or not it will be in Indiana.
Sun moving on from Stephanie White
The focus has already turned to a potential Fever pursuit of Stephanie White. However, what does the future hold for the Sun? After all, they enjoyed a strong 2024 season and they surely hope to contend in 2025.
It is uncertain why the Sun parted ways with White. Perhaps the possibility of losing her to another team caught their attention. Replacing White will be a difficult task. Nevertheless, the Sun have become one of the better teams in the WNBA which should lead to interest from a number of top candidates.
The WNBA is in unfamiliar territory given all of the head coach changes. There have never been this many open head coaching positions at one time in the history of the league. The Sun will do everything they can to find the best possible Stephanie White replacement.