Caitlin Clark sounded as excited to start working with Stephanie White as the new Indiana Fever coach seemed to be over the moon about the idea of working with the WNBA superstar.
Clark heaped a mountain of praise on White on Monday as she was officially introduced as the franchise’s new head coach in a press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever attend Stephanie White’s introductory press conference on November 4, 2024.NBAE via Getty Images
“We know how much of a legend she is in Indiana,” Clark told reporters, according to ESPN. “I think that’s really cool. Playing against her, I would say I felt like her teams always had the best scouts against us. I think that just speaks to her knowledge of the game and her way to analyze, and she clearly was on to something. Hopefully, in turn, now that she knows how to stop us, that should be a good way to know how to [help us] beat certain things as well.”
White is an Indiana native, having played high school basketball in the state and playing college ball at Purdue before she was selected 21st overall in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the now-defunct Charlotte Sting.
The Indiana Fever welcome Stephanie White as their new head coach Monday, Nov. 4, 2024.Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The new Fever head coach played for the organization for four years during her playing career and served as an assistant coach under Lin Dunn when they won the 2012 WNBA title.
White had previously been the franchise’s head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016 and had coached the Connecticut Sun for the previous two seasons.
White now will coach one of women’s basketball’s biggest names in what White had described as “an important time throughout women’s athletics.”
Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever talks to the media during her introductory press conference on November 4, 2024.NBAE via Getty Images
Aliyah Boston, Stephanie White, Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull of the Indiana Fever pose for a photo during Stephanie White’s introductory press conference.NBAE via Getty Images
“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, so I don’t know if you prepare for it as much as you embrace it. Embrace where we are,” White said about coaching in such a pivotal time for the WNBA during an interview on “NBA Today.”
“Think about the momentum moving forward, where we wanted this league to be and where we still aspire for it to go. Just embrace this moment, embrace this opportunity. Continue to help this team, this franchise be better and position ourselves for success.”
