Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White to replace fired head coach Christie Sides, the WNBA franchise announced Friday.
"I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever during such a pivotal moment in this franchise's history, as well as during during such an important time throughout women's athletics," White said in a news release.
"This franchise has and always will be committed to winning and I look forward to working every day to help deliver another WNBA title to the greatest basketball fans in the world."
The Connecticut Sun announced Monday that they parted ways with White, who was hired in 2022. White led the Sun to a 22-10 record in 2023 en route to WNBA Coach of the Year honors.
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The Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the 2023 postseason, but lost to the New York Liberty in the WNBA semifinals.
White and the Sun went 28-12 in 2024. They then beat Sides, star player Caitlin Clark and the Fever in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to the Lynx in the semifinals.
White previously as coach of the Fever from 2015 to 2016. She also spent the 2011 to 2014 campaigns as a Fever assistant. She posted a 37-31 record during her previous tenure as Fever head coach.
White served as coach of the Vanderbilt women's basketball team from 2016 to 2021. She was an assistant for the WNBA's Chicago Sky from 2007 to 2010.
White also worked as an collegiate assistant at Ball State, Kansas State and Toledo.
The West Lebanon, Ind., native starred at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.) before her WNBA playing career, which she spent with the Fever and Charlotte Sting. She helped the Boilermakers win the 1999 NCAA Division I women's basketball title.
"As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise," Fever president Kelly Krauskopf said.
"Stephanie is a part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I'm quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style.
"I am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level."
