Indiana Fever Star Makes Stephanie White Admission After Christie Sides Era

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 10:56 PM ET

Stephanie White and the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever will be moving on to the semifinals of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs after taking down Rhyne Howard and the Atlanta Dream 87-85 in Game 3. Aliyah Boston hit the go-ahead layup with seven seconds left before Lexie Hull secured the win with a clutch steal.

But it has been Kelsey Mitchell who has led the way for Indiana in the postseason, finishing with 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting, two rebounds and an assist. In fact, through three first-round games, Mitchell averaged 23.3 points and 3.0 assists per game.

Mitchell has enjoyed the best season of her eight-year WNBA career under Coach White, averaging more than 20 points per game in the regular season for the first time and earning her third All-Star selection. Her first two All-Star appearances came in 2023 and 2024 during Christie Sides' two seasons as the Fever head coach. Before Sides, Mitchell played for three other head coaches, making White the fifth of her WNBA career.

While Sides helped guide Mitchell to her first two All-Star appearances, the Fever guard is grateful to now have White by her side. In a postgame press conference, Mitchell admitted White is the first coach to truly value what she brings.

"I've never had a coach that poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has," Kelsey Mitchell says. "For the first time in my career, I feel like I have someone that values what I bring as a player and person. I go where I’m valued and I’ve never really felt that as a pro. For the first time in my career, I really feel like I have someone that values what I bring to the table as a player and a person.

"I’ll always love Steph because she gave me an opportunity to be who I really am. And its hard to do that and be that as a professional athlete and when you find coaches that believe in you, I now never take it for granted. Thank you, coach.”

"I've never had a coach that poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has," Kelsey Mitchell says. "For the first time in my career, I feel like I have smoeone that values what I bring as a player and person."
— Tony East (@TonyREast) September 19, 2025

Last season, Sides led Mitchell and the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. However, Sides got the boot shortly after Indiana's first-round exit, making way for White to take over as the team's head coach.

The Fever will move on to the semifinals, where they will face either the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces or the No. 7 seed Seattle Storm.

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

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