One day after the Indiana Feverfired coach Christie Sides, the Connecticut Sun split with their coach, Stephanie White — a former Fever player and coach who has been rumored as a potential name to fill the vacancy in Indiana.
Now the Sun, which White coached to a 55-25 regular season and 7-7 postseason record, will also be seeking a new coach after announcing the move Monday.
“We want to thank Stephanie for her time in Connecticut and her commitment to our organization over the past two seasons,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said in a statement. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
White, 47, led Connecticut to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons during her two-year tenure as the team’s coach. She was named the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game coach and earned WNBA and AP Coach of the Year accolades that season.
White joined the Sun in 2023 after coaching Vanderbilt’s program from 2016 to 2021. She previously served as an assistant with Indiana (2011-2014) before taking over head-coaching duties from 2015 to 2016.
The Sun went 28-12 last season and lost in five games in the WNBA semis to the Minnesota Lynx.
White’s return to the WNBA after a detour into college basketball and broadcasting has been hugely successful, as the Sun trailed only the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces (the last two champions) in wins over the previous two seasons. Although “parting ways” can sometimes be a euphemism for a firing, it’s likely the correct turn of phrase in this situation.
White has reportedly been recruited by multiple other franchises during the offseason. She wouldn’t be leaving Connecticut without another opportunity in hand, and there are plenty to choose from with more than half of the league having moved on from their coaches since the 2024 regular season ended.
The obvious landing spot for White is in Indiana. There are simply too many connections to overlook. White went to college and high school in Indiana before playing for the Fever for four seasons, including on their inaugural squad in 2000. While serving as an assistant and a head coach for the franchise, she also worked alongside then-general manager (and current team president) Kelly Krauskopf. —
White wouldn’t have been seeking out other opportunities were she satisfied in Connecticut, and therein lies the problem for an organization that has been a perpetual bridesmaid over the last decade.
The Sun have made six consecutive WNBA semifinals but haven’t yet won a title. Furthermore, under the stewardship of the Mohegan Indian tribe, there is a limit on the amount of investment in the team, especially relative to the billionaire ownership groups that are pouring money into franchises, such as New York, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Now that White is gone, it might be time for a rebuild in Connecticut. Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Bri Jones are all unrestricted free agents, and given that core’s postseason shortcomings, the Sun could pivot and build for the future. They currently don’t have a first-round pick in the 2025 draft due to the Marina Mabrey trade but could sell off some veterans to get back into what should be a very deep draft. If the front office chooses to change course, they should act quickly since several teams are in the market for head coaches focused on player development. —
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Connecticut Sun, WNBA
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