Caitlin Clark Fans Identify ‘Perfect’ Coaching Candidate For Indiana Fever

Would be a huge pickup for the Fever after the firing of Christie Sides.

 

The Indiana Fever are on the hunt for the franchise’s next head coach following the dismissal of now-former team leader Christie Sides.

On Sunday, the Fever announced the decision to part ways with Sides in an official statement.

Sides fielded heavy criticism from Caitlin Clark fans throughout the 2024 WNBA season. Despite Clark’s outstanding Rookie of the Year campaign, many of these fans felt the Indiana head coach failed to fully capitalize on the No. 1 overall pick’s elite talent.

Now, Clark fans are weighing in with their thoughts on who the Fever should hire as the organization’s next head coach.

Some feel Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White is the “perfect” candidate to take over in Indianapolis and serve as a mentor for Clark as she continues her already-impressive WNBA career.

White is still under contract with the Sun through the 2025 WNBA season, but she’s already emerged as a top candidate for the Fever’s vacant job.

Early in the 2024 WNBA season, White came to Clark’s defense as she fielded criticism for a slow start to her rookie campaign.

“I’m looking at all these things that all these people are talking about with Caitlin Clark. I’m like, “Guys, chill out. She’s going to be fine,'” White said. “It’s two games in, are you kidding me? She’s a student of the game. She got better every year [in college]… It takes time.

“… Let’s continue to play to our strengths. Let’s find different ways to get the ball to our players. And then when we get time in the offseason, then we’ll work on that next step.”

White, a former Purdue Boilermaker, played for her home-state Fever team for four seasons from 2000-04. She then signed on as an assistant coach in 2011 and was promoted to head coach in 2015. She led Indiana to the WNBA Finals in her first of two seasons as head coach.

Stephanie White

Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White

Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

White won WNBA Coach of the Year as leader of the Sun in 2023. She led Connecticut to the semifinals this past season, sweeping the Fever in Round 1.

While White has a good situation in Connecticut, the opportunity to coach Clark in her second WNBA season could be enough to lure the head coach back to Indianapolis.