Stephanie White Reveals Exactly What the Fever Need Most Right Now

Stephanie White has completed her inaugural season returning as head coach of the Indiana Fever, delivering one of the most impressive coaching performances across the entire WNBA.

Guiding the team to the semifinals without multiple crucial players—chief among them Caitlin Clark, out due to a groin injury that ended her season—the Fever also missed Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and Chloe Bibby.

Against all odds, Indiana pushed the Las Vegas Aces to a full seven-game series in the conference finals, eventually falling in overtime.

As the offseason begins, the Fever face critical roster decisions, and White recently emphasized the organization’s top focus: retaining All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

“We want to continue to build around [Kelsey Mitchell],” White said. “She is absolutely the number one priority.”

A few supporters misinterpreted White’s remarks as diminishing Caitlin Clark’s status as the franchise cornerstone, though Clark is still secured under her rookie deal, alongside forward Aliyah Boston.

Allowing Kelsey Mitchell to depart in free agency would deal a major setback; she topped the team in scoring, played in all regular-season and playoff contests, and ranked in the top five for MVP consideration.

Outside of Mitchell, the Fever will also need to make decisions on other key players. Sophie Cunningham is currently a free agent as well. Indiana would love to bring her back, but there is no guarantee of being able to do so.

It will be interesting to see what the WNBA offseason has in store for the Fever. They are close to a championship, but this offseason will be crucial. If Indiana can keep its key players in town, a run at the WNBA Finals should be a very realistic goal for the 2026 season.

Expect to hear a lot of talk and rumors about the Indiana Fever this offseason.