Insider Spills Beans on Stephanie White's Decision That Led to Caitlin Clark's Coach's Firing - EssentiallySports
Indiana Fever Insider Chloe Peterson: Sides wasn’t coach to take team to title

One of the first opponents to officially welcome Caitlin Clark to the WNBA was Stephanie White.

Ahead of Clark’s rookie debut as her Indiana Fever faced White’s Connecticut Sun in the regular-season opener, Clark greeted the former Purdue and Fever star first.

White, who has been linked with the vacant Fever head coaching job, has been nothing but complimentary of Clark, even imploring people to “chill out” regarding the former Iowa star.

Once news broke of the Fever firing Christie Sides on Sunday, White’s name instantly jumped to the top of the list of potential candidates. And it makes a lot of sense. Indiana Miss Basketball. National champion at Purdue. Former Fever player and coach. And then Monday, White and the Sun agreed to part ways, opening the door even further for a potential homecoming.

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT – SEPTEMBER 25: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever smiles during a press conference after losing 81-87 to the Connecticut Sun in Game Two of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs first round at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 25, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)© Joe Buglewicz, Getty Images

Ahead of that May 14 opener, Clark was asked about White, who also works as an ESPN analyst and covered plenty of Hawkeyes games.

“She’s obviously called a lot of my games all throughout college, and I think she has a really great basketball mind,” Clark said. “I think she’s done a great job calling college games, it’s been great to see her on NBA games. I think what she’s done is just, she obviously has been a trailblazer, honestly. I think she’s somebody who’s been supportive of my game, and it’s been fun to talk to her at shootarounds throughout my college career and has always been really supportive.

“Yeah, so I think the biggest thing is it’s fun going up against her here now for my first time after her calling a lot of my games. Now I get to play against her, so that’s going to be a lot of fun for the both of us.”

Perhaps soon it won’t be against each other any more.