Fever Likely To Face Aces Without Their Head Coach Stephanie White
The Las Vegas Aces will face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday, but the Fever are not expected to be at full strength.
The Fever will be without head coach Stephanie White who has taken leave from the team to tend to a personal matter, according to ESPN. It has not been specified how long White will be away from the team, but she is expected to miss the five-game road trip, which includes the tilt with the Aces.
Assistant coach Austin Kelly will serve as acting head coach in White's stead. Kelly assumed his duties prior to the Fever's game at the Golden State Valkyries. The Fever lost the game 88-77.
Kelly and White have coached together since their days together at Vanderbilt and with the Connecticut Sun in 2023.
"It's going to be the same. I think we are an extension of each other," Kelly said after Thursday's shootaround to the media assembled. "The message is still the same that we talk about in the locker room; playing for each other, getting it done on the defensive end and then having that help fuel us on the offensive end. But the vibes are good."
This is White's first season at the helm of the Fever and she has a 6-5 record as head coach of the franchise. She also led the team to the Commissioner's Cup finals.
The Fever will have a three-game road swing that will include games at the Los Angeles Sparks and the Dallas Wings. Kelly said he is just looking to manage everyone's minutes.
"We're just trying to manage everything within the game and then we're going to put a lot on them to get treatment in between games," Kelly told ESPN. "We're here, Vegas, Seattle, then back home. It's about us taking care of business on the floor, first and foremost, and looking for opportunities throughout the game to manage those minutes."
Scott Salomon joined On SI in April 2024, covering breaking news and analysis for various On SI channels. Scott covers the NFL, College Football, MLB, and the WNBA. Scott has been covering local and national sports for over 35 years. Scott graduated from the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott is also a member of the PFWA and the FWAA. Follow Scott Salomon on X @ScottSalomonNFL.