Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever Forced to Make Coaching Move After Unfortunate Injury News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:38 PM ET

Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever, still without Caitlin Clark due to a groin injury, find themselves in the middle of the WNBA playoff chase entering the final stretch of the regular season. The Fever have been dealing with a plethora of injuries during the season. Outside of Clark, they have lost numerous guards for the year, including Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald.

On Tuesday, White and the Fever ended their three-game road trip against Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury. And it was revealed that Indiana is dealing with another injury.

Indiana's player development coach, Keith Porter, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on Monday while on the road trip. The former Division III All-American followed White from the Connecticut Sun to Indianapolis during the offseason.

While Porter stayed in Phoenix with the team for Tuesday’s game, White said he won’t be able to work with players on the court as he recovers, which could lead to a replacement. Instead, he’ll take on more of a vocal presence.

"His spirits are good," White said. "Keith is just one of those guys that's always happy, and he's a very faithful guy. So his spirits are good. I think it's an adjustment right now because he's not on the floor. Eventually, once he gets through surgery, he'll be back on. You're still going to hear his voice...

"He's still gonna be there with the tips. And as soon as he can, he's gonna be back on the floor making passes. He might not be d-ing somebody up or out on the court playing with physicality, but his voice is still a presence."

Player development coach Keith Porter, who usually has a large role working with players on the court, ruptured his Achilles yesterday.

Steph White says “his spirits are good” and details how his role will evolve while he can’t play: pic.twitter.com/82KxOulOmP
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 3, 2025

Before Tuesday’s game, the Fever sat in seventh place in the WNBA standings at 21-19. With four games left, each one carries extra weight as the playoffs draw closer. But with Porter's new injury, Indiana will need to keep making adjustments down the stretch, just as they have all season.

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

More must-reads: