Is Stephanie White Feeling the Pressure of Coaching Cailtin Clark?

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images; Grace Smith/IndyStar via Imagn Images

Is Stephanie White Feeling the Pressure of Coaching Cailtin Clark?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated May 8, 2026 8:27 AM ET

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Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White feels blessed to have a generational talent like Caitlin Clark.

White recently spoke about her best player ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, which tips off Saturday.

The Fever bench boss appeared on Women's Sports Now and answered a variety of questions about the upcoming campaign.

Among those was whether coaching the league's most popular and celebrated player carries added pressure. White dismissed the notion entirely. She called it a privilege, not a burden.

"I think it's a blessing. It's an opportunity," White said. "She challenges me every day to be better. Her skill set is elite. Her basketball mind is elite.

"She challenges us as coaches to be better. It challenges us to put our team in positions for success, but also allow her to do what she does best."

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White talks to Caitlin Clark during a game.Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

White stepped in as the Fever head coach in 2025. She inherited a Clark-led squad in the 24-year-old star's second season in the league. Their partnership faced an immediate test.

Clark dealt with numerous injuries, limiting her to just 13 games. Despite the adversity, White kept her focus on the bigger picture. She continued by explaining that coaching a special talent also pushes her to be better.

"Again, I don't think it's pressure," White said. "Great players want to be around great players, and great coaches want to be around great players. They challenge you in a different way."

One of White's favorite aspects of the job is putting Clark in positions to thrive. It has never been difficult. Clark is a competitive soul who welcomes coaching and craves feedback. White embraces the challenge of finding ways to create easier opportunities for her star guard.

"I'm a basketball junkie, so watching games to try to find different ways that we can get her easier looks is an outstanding challenge," White added. "She wants to be coached. She wants to be the best, and she wants to be pushed. She wants that challenge too, so I think that makes it a lot easier."

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

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