Fever Coach Stephanie White Justifies Caitlin Clark Change Against Valkyries After Five Missed Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 4:35 PM ET

Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever performed better than most people expected in their second stint without Caitlin Clark. They won 3-of-5 games, including the Commissioner's Cup championship over the Minnesota Lynx.

But Clark returned from her groin injury on Wednesday as the Fever fell to 9-10 on the 2025 WNBA season with an 80-61 loss to Kayla Thornton and the Golden State Valkyries.

Clark did not have her best performance upon her return, posting 10 points on 33.3% shooting, five rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes of action. However, White made a big change to the starting lineup that could have affected her production.

Instead of sticking with her usual starting lineup, coach Stephanie White opted to start Aari McDonald in place of Lexie Hull. The move gave the Fever two primary ball handlers, as Clark and McDonald can naturally play point guard. This allowed Clark to play off-ball a bit more.

Amid Clark's absence, McDonald, who signed with Indiana midseason, replaced Sydney Colson in the starting lineup. She impressed, averaging 10.3 points and 4.4 assists per game, which allowed her to keep her starting spot.

After the loss, White spoke to the media for a postgame press conference. When asked about the change to the starting lineup, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year justified her decision to start two point guards.

"I like the ability to have two primary (ball handlers) on the floor," White said. "Being able to give the opponent different looks. Quite frankly, for (Caitlin), especially not having to have her play under duress 94 feet... We’ll continue to work on that."

Stephanie White on playing Caitlin Clark off ball

"I like the ability to have two primary (ball handlers) on the floor…being able to give the opponent different looks. Quite frankly for C (Caitlin) especially not having to have her play under duress 94 feet…we’ll continue to…
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) July 9, 2025

The Fever now fall to 1-3 to begin their five-game home stand, with the Atlanta Dream coming to town on Friday. It is unclear if White will continue with the same starting lineup or revert to Hull.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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