Fever Coach Stephanie White Struggles to Fight Tears After Hearing Players' Comments

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 6:03 AM ET

The Indiana Fever have done it. Against all odds, the Fever eliminated the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the WNBA playoffs after Thursday’s incredible Game 3 victory.

After losing Game 1 in Atlanta, the Fever won the next two games of the series to secure their spot in the next round. On Thursday, Indiana battled through adversity to secure a hard-fought 87-85 win.

Fever head coach Stephanie White had nothing but high praise for her players during the postgame press conference. The veteran coach underscored her team’s resilience and their ability to fight through all the challenges they’ve faced this season.

Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard joined White at the podium, and they, too, had nothing but good things to say about their coach.

"I've never had a coach that poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has," Mitchell said. "For the first time in my career, I feel like I have someone that values what I bring as a player and person."

Howard also expressed her appreciation to White for all the trust she put in Howard to lead the Fever.

"She does an amazing job for every person,” Howard said. “It's not just me and Kelsey, but every single person in the team that she believes in. She pours into every single person. It doesn't matter how you play or how many minutes you're going to get. She's going to tell you to be ready at all times (and) go out there and do your part.

"That's one thing I love about Steph, how she believes in every single person. She trusts us, no matter what."

White was clearly affected by her players' strong words. So much so that the 2024 Coach of the Year winner struggled to fight back her tears.

Stephanie White fought back tears after the Fever-Dream game

(via the WNBA's YouTube stream)https://t.co/5Aey1vcMz1 pic.twitter.com/bISKYoEtSF
— Paolo Songco (@PaoloSongcoNBA) September 19, 2025

White is as strong-willed as they come, and the fact that she’s been coaching in the WNBA since 2007 is a testament to this fact. However, even she could not contain her emotions after hearing what her players had to say about her.

White and the Fever have little time to celebrate, though. Up next for them is the Las Vegas Aces, who secured a Game 3 victory against the Seattle Storm on Thursday to book their spot in the semifinals.

That's going to be a tough test for the Fever, but with momentum on their side, this team is confident that they can upset the odds yet again.

Game 1 will take place on Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, with a tip-off time scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.

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

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