WNBA Boilers: Caitlin Clark Sings Praises of New Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White

Caitlin Clark is already excited about her new coach in Indianapolis. The young WNBA star sang the praises of new Indiana Fever coach and Purdue women's basketball icon Stephanie White in an appearance on The Bird & Taurasi Show during the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship Game.

During Sunday's title game between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 2 seed UConn, Clark spoke with former WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird during their special broadcast of the game. When talking about White, Clark raved about her basketball IQ and ability to lead the Fever to new heights.

"She is one of the smartest basketball minds I've ever been around," Clark said during the show. "Everybody admires her and the way she coaches, the way she leads. I'm excited to learn from her."

Indiana made a change at head coach following the 2024 season, parting ways with Christie Sides and hiring White in the offseason. It will be White's second run as the head coach of the Fever, previously serving in the role from 2015-16.

White was also a member of the Fever's staff from 2011-14 under coach Lin Dunn. She was part of the team that claimed a WNBA championship in 2012. The former Purdue superstar returns to Indianapolis after spending the past two seasons as the coach of the Connecticut Sun.

There's a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise entering the 2025 campaign with Clark entering her second season. As a rookie, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, leading Indiana to its first WNBA playoff appearance since 2016. She set a number of league records during her first year, as well.

Indiana also returns key pieces such as Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull from last year's team. The Fever were also incredibly active during the offseason, signing Sophie Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson and Brianna Turner.

White is inheriting a team that could compete for a WNBA championship.

In her four years as a WNBA head coach — two with the Fever and two with the Sun — White has accumulated a 92-56 record. She has led her teams to the playoffs every season, including a trip to the WNBA Finals in 2015 with the Fever. In 2023, White was named the WNBA Coach of the Year.

Before becoming a coach, White was a star basketball player at Purdue and was a member of the 1999 national championship team. She was also the winner of the Wade Award, the Honda Sports Award, was an All-American selection and was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year.

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