Concerning Stephanie White Trend Emerges During Indiana Fever Loss

Stephanie White's Concerning Playoff History

As it became clear Indiana was going to lose Game 2 on Tuesday night, ESPN reminded its national audience that during White's brief career as a WNBA head coach, her teams are 0-3 in best-of-five series after winning Game 1.

It happened in the semifinals in each of the last two seasons when White was head coach of the Connecticut Sun. In 2023, they lost 3-1 to the New York Liberty after winning Game 1. In 2024, the Minnesota Lynx came back from an 0-1 hole to beat the Sun 3-2.

The first occurrence of the trend may have been the most painful of them all. A former Fever player, White led her old team to the WNBA Finals in her first season as a head coach in 2015.

They won Game 1 on the road behind 19 points from current Fever assistant coach Briann January. However, Hall of Famer Maya Moore and Minnesota staged a comeback to win the series 3-2.

It is unfair to lay all the blame on the coach, but for the same thing to happen three times in White's four previous playoff runs is quite a startling pattern.

Fever Must Avoid Another Collapse After Worrying Loss to Aces

The Aces are hoping to continue the trend this season after earning a 90-68 victory to tie the series at 1-1.

Following a quiet Game 1, newly-crowned MVP A'ja Wilson was back to her dominant self. The Fever did not have an answer as Wilson put up a game-high 25 points, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

Odyssey Sims finished as the Fever's top scorer with 18 points, but 11 came in fourth quarter garbage time. Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull went a combined 9-for-30 from the field. The Aces forced White's team into 18 turnovers.

"We were on our heels," White admitted in the postgame press conference. "We were passive. We were reactive to everything."

The series shifts to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4, with both teams two wins away from a spot in the 2025 WNBA Finals and Indiana in need of some major adjustments after the Game 2 loss.

The Fever were 13-9 at home this season and they are 1-0 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the playoffs, but White's track record will be a concern heading into Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday.