LAS VEGAS — Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has rejoined the team in Las Vegas after missing the opening game of their West Coast road trip in California.
White was absent from the team’s trip to Golden State due to personal reasons, the Fever announced. In her place, assistant coach Austin Kelly served as acting head coach for the second time this season the first being on June 7 in Chicago. Fellow assistants Briann January and Karima Christmas-Kelly also took on expanded roles. Thanks to the staff’s long-standing chemistry, the coaching transition was smooth.
“Rima, Bri, Austin, and I have been working together for over a decade,” White said Saturday. “We’ve developed a shared understanding of the game, our strengths, and how to put one another and our players in the best position to succeed.”
The entire staff’s roots trace back to the Fever’s 2012 WNBA championship team. At the time, January and Christmas-Kelly were players, Kelly was part of the scout team, and White served as an assistant coach. They’ve remained connected since, with January and Kelly joining White’s staff in Connecticut in 2023 and later following her to Indiana.
“We’re really just extensions of each other,” Kelly said prior to Thursday’s game. “The message to the team hasn’t changed it’s about playing for one another, locking in on defense, and letting that drive our offense.”
In the Fever’s first-ever matchup with the Valkyries on Thursday, they lost 88-77, evening Kelly’s interim head coaching record at 1-1. The team then headed straight to Las Vegas, where White reunited with them ahead of Sunday’s game against the Aces.
“Being around the game is restorative,” White said. “It helps you step away from life’s daily challenges. And being surrounded by people who lift you up really matters.”
Next Game: The Fever face the Las Vegas Aces at 3 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.
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