WNBA insider reveals Caitlin Clark's new coach Stephanie White could easily have ended up leading Angel Reese's Chicago Sky

Caitlin Clark will be paired with highly rated coach Stephanie White in 2025. White is coming off a tremendous spell with the Connecticut Sun, and there is a lot of buzz surrounding the Indiana Fever after signing one of the most respected coaches in women's basketball.

When news broke that White would depart Connecticut, many were interested in signing her. The 47-year-old, who was named the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, was coming off leading the Sun to consecutive playoff appearances and has plenty of coaching experience over the last 12 years.

The Indiana Fever moved quickly to secure a new coach - and a familiar face - but other teams circled. Per well-known reporter Annie Costabile, White could have potentially ended up with the Fever's Midwest rival, the Chicago Sky.

"The first piece of information I got was that Stephanie White might not return to the Connecticut Sun," said Costabile. "My thought was do the Sky really have a shot at her? For me it really started with trying to understand the landscape that included the Sky." (14:05)

Caitlin Clark helped guide the Fever to a 20-20 record and their first postseason appearance since 2016 last season, edging out an Angel Reese-led Chicago Sky team for one of the final playoff spots. However, after the Fever were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, Chicago and Indiana were in the market for new coaches in the offseason.

White has a history with the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. She was an assistant coach with the franchise from 2007 to 2010 under coaches Bo Overton and Steven Key.

In the end, Stephanie White's close connections and ties to the state of Indiana seemed to be a factor in her final decision. She grew up in Indiana, attending Seeger Memorial High School, and was named Indiana's Miss Basketball in 1995. Choosing to remain in the state for college, she committed to Purdue University and led the program to the NCAA national championship in 1999.

White was drafted to the WNBA in 1999 and played 112 games for the Fever. From 2011 to 2014, she worked as an assistant coach with the franchise under Lin Dunn. Then, she was promoted to her first head coach job at Indiana from 2015 to 2016 before switching to Vanderbilt and Connecticut.

Ultimately, the Chicago Sky signed the highly sought-after Tyler Marsh as their coach. Marsh spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces under Becky Hammon.

Fever guard Caitlin Clark once praised coach Stephanie White as a "great basketball mind"

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark possesses the ball against the Connecticut Sun during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Credits: IMAGN)

Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White have a relationship that dates back to the former's college days with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Clark is a long-time admirer of her new coach and greatly respects White's approach to the game.

During a press conference early in 2024, Clark was asked about her relationship with White.

"I just think she has a really great basketball mind," said Clark. "She's been a trailblazer honestly. I think she has always been somebody that's been supporting of my game."

Along with Caitlin Clark, Stephanie White will inherit a talented young core in Indiana, including Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith and Grace Berger. The organization will likely also be looking to add some free agents.