Indiana Fever GM Comments on Stephanie White's Future

Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Indiana Fever GM Comments on Stephanie White's Future

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 11, 2026 6:55 AM ET

Stephanie White took over the Indiana Fever in 2025, replacing former head coach Christie Sides. Upon returning to the team after nine years — White previously served as the team’s head coach from 2015 to 2016 — she led the franchise to a 24-20 record and the sixth seed. Indiana went all the way to the semifinals even without the injured Caitlin Clark.

In the 2026 season, the Fever improved their record to 28-16 under White, although they still ended up as the sixth seed. Moreover, the squad failed to even win a series this time, losing in the first round of the postseason.

Naturally, there have been questions about White’s future with the team. During her exit interview, White herself acknowledged that the decision on whether she returns next season rests with the organization.

Fever general manager Amber Cox also talked about White and the work she had done with the team over the past two seasons. Interestingly, she hinted that the 49-year-old coach could remain part of the franchise’s plans moving forward.

Indiana Fever General Manager Amber Cox speaks to the media.Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think the expectation, and she’ll say this too, is always championship. We didn’t meet that expectation, but we’re going to learn from it, and we’re going to grow,” Cox said about White during the exit interview. “Steph’s players know that she rides for them, I think she has great relationships with them, and just continues to build upon that every year that we are together. Again, it comes back to that continuity, and how do you continue to build together.”

Cox noted that White and her coaching staff will also be part of the process of evaluating what the team did right and what went wrong during the season.

“We talked about some of the highlights. I think there were some highlights and there are things we need to get better at,” Cox shared. “We’re all going to get in the room and get back to the drawing board, and we’re going to address some of those and make sure that we’re ready to go when next season starts,” Cox added. “And that includes Steph and the coaching staff.”

The Fever boasted the best offense in the WNBA in 2026 under White, so she definitely did something right. They were also considered title contenders, although their defense eventually doomed them.

With that in mind, it won’t be surprising if the Fever decide to continue their partnership with White and address the roster’s biggest needs first before considering drastic changes that could disrupt team continuity.

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

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