CHICAGO — Indiana Fever head coach Steph White will miss Saturday night’s matchup against the Chicago Sky, a team spokesperson confirmed to IndyStar earlier in the day.
White was absent from Friday’s practice due to personal matters, and her availability for the game had initially been uncertain. In her absence, lead assistant coach Austin Kelly will step in as acting head coach, while assistants Karima Christmas-Kelly and Briann January will also take on expanded responsibilities. It’s currently unclear how long White will be away from the team.
White has expressed deep confidence in her coaching staff, many of whom she’s worked alongside for several years. “My staff is excellent, and I trust them completely. If I ever need to be away, it’s business as usual,” White said in a preseason interview with IndyStar. “The players respect them, and I know things will run smoothly.”
Kelly, who spoke to the media on Friday, has been with White since 2023, when they worked together in Connecticut. He followed her to Indianapolis after she accepted the Fever job. January also began working with White in 2023, while Christmas-Kelly joined her staff in 2025 after previously serving as an assistant under former head coach Christie Sides.
On the court, Indiana will also be missing key players Caitlin Clark (quad) and Sophie Cunningham (ankle), though both traveled with the team to Chicago. The Fever previously defeated the Sky by 35 points in their season opener on May 17 and hold a 1-0 lead in the five-game season series with three of those games set in Indiana and two in Chicago.
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