September 23, 2025 • 22 mins
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White joins Khristina to talk about returning to the Fever this season after a decade, coaching stars like Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark, what separates generational talent, and leading her team through a deep playoff run.
Want more women’s basketball scoop? Follow the show on Instagram @ICYMIwithKW and X @ICYMIwithKW and for more on Khristina, follow her on Instagram @khristinawilliams
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CREDITS
Executive Producers:
Nikki Ettore
Jessie Katz
Tyler Klang
Jonathan Strickland
Producer:
Buffy Gorrilla
Producer & Editor:
Tari Harrison
Host:
Khristina Williams
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome to another episode of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams here on Iheartwomen's Sports Network
and in case you missed a Gang. The w NBA
(00:21):
Semifinals have officially commenced and so you know, we had
to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Big this week.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Stephanie White brings seventeen seasons of WNBA experience as a
player and coach. She led the Fever to the twenty
fifteen WNBA Finals and helped guide them to a championship
as an assistant in twenty twelve. She also spent two
seasons with the Connecticut Sun, guiding them to the WNBA
Semifinals both years. And today, we are thrilled to welcome
(00:50):
the head coach of the Indiana Fever, Stephanie White, to
the show. Coach White, Welcome to In Case.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You missed It.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
We always start the show here with our guest sharing
a personal a professional win of the week.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So what would you say was a win for you
this week?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Oh, Jush, Well, professional win? I think obviously, is us
being in this position and being able to come in
and get game one. It's you know, it's a long series, certainly,
but to be able to come on the road and
get game one is huge personal win, I would say selfishly,
is that we're going to be at home this coming weekend,
(01:32):
and it is my oldest son's fourteenth birthday, and this
is the first birthday in the last three years since
I've been back coaching in the WNBA that I actually
get to spend it with him. So that's a personal win.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Nothing like some quality time with your family and of
course celebrating those big moments.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So I want to switch gears a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
You've returned as a head coach this season to the
Indiana Fever. How does this chapter feel for you personally
compared to earlier points in your career.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I mean it feels great. You know, this is a
franchise that really is in the fabric of my DNA.
I played for this franchise, you know, I'm from Indiana,
played most of my career in Indiana, worked in this
organization at various points, and it truly is coming home
and this is an organization that I love. Take a
(02:21):
lot of pride in in in the types of teams
that we put on the floor and the way that
we represent our franchise, our city, our state. And so
I'm I'm really just just happy, you know, content and
thankful for the opportunity to be back at home.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You have so much experience as a coach and also
of course as a player. How do you approach that
in terms of your leadership when you think about where
you are right now and probably like your first stint
in Indiana, Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Mean, obviously ten years is a long time, and so
we grow, we mature, you know, I think probably things
that used to bother me, uh don't bother me as
much anymore. You know, like experience, it happens, and you know,
I think the biggest thing for me is, you know,
when I communicate with players, I communicate in a way
that that I would have wanted as a player. Just
be transparent, you know, being honest. Continue to to hold
(03:14):
them accountable and hold them to a standard certainly, but
also to let them know like how how much I
care about them, you know, how much pride I have
in being their coach. Continue to put them in positions
to be successful, you know, show them and tell them,
and how much we believe in them as as as
as players, and how much we care about them as
human beings. I mean, you know, I think when you
(03:35):
look at our team specifically from the outside, you know,
I don't think you can truly grasp the type of
character these women have. And and and bringing high character
people into our organization was a number one priority. And
and these guys care about one another, they care about
the team. They want to put each other in positions
to be successful.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I mean, obviously there's healthy ego individually, because that's why
they're where they are, but at the same time, they
sacrificed that selfish ego for the betterment of the team.
It's just a really good group of women. And I'm
just so proud to be their coach and proud of
what we've done up until this point and what we'll
hopefully continue to do.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, that was sort of like a part of my
next question in terms of the season, like dealing with
the ups and downs, the injuries, the roster changes. As
a coach, how did you how are you able one
to keep everyone moving forward even though you had so
much adversity throughout the season. And you know what was
the plan in terms of I know you didn't expect
(04:35):
this probably happened in your fre season back in Indianda
to deal with so much different things, so many different changes.
But how are you able to keep everyone like kind
of grounded and keep the main thing the main thing?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean, I think first and foremost. You know,
our staff has been through so many different scenarios. You know,
it reminds me a little bit of our team in
twenty twelve when we won the championship. We lost Katie
Douglas in the semi finals, lostten up Poland in the
in the for in the i think game one or
game two of the finals against Minnesota, and we just
(05:06):
had to continue to put one foot in front of
the other. You know. It's it's this is you know,
a combination of a lot of different things that we've
we've we've experienced. Certainly didn't expect it all to happen
in one season. But I think the biggest thing is
just number one, when you have high character women and
and you can continue to just lead by example, Like
what what we have to do is we have to
problem solve and we have to figure out a different way.
(05:28):
It's not in the way that we thought we were
going to play, it's not with who we thought we
were going to be playing with. But we've got great
players on our team. We've just got to continue to
to manipulate in a way that that puts them in
different positions to be successful than we had originally intended.
We've got to continue to pour into them to let
them know that that we have enough in this locker room,
(05:49):
and and we've got to keep be creative, you know,
as a staff in terms of what we do, how
we do it, simplify in a way that it's it's
easier for new players to come in and be able
to to do what we want, but but also help
them understand that just because the personnel has changed does
not mean the standard has changed. And how we approach
every single day and this group is just continue to
(06:10):
put one foot in front of the other. And they've
continued to step up to every challenge that we've had
and continue to bring the best out in one another.
And I think that's one of the things that I'm
most proud of.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Okay, and I like that you compared you know, that
twenty twelve team to this group in terms of the
adversity phased in just the fight that both groups had.
When you look back at that twenty twelve team and
compare it to this one, what are some qualities that
you see in terms of the will to win and
what it takes to win a championship. There's no easy
feat to win a championship, especially in the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
No, there's not, and everything really does have to fall
in mind. I mean, it certainly does take some luck
as well, you know. I think the biggest quality is
resilience and toughness. I mean, Tamika Catching's led that group,
and she's one of the toughest, most resilient players I've
ever been around. And we have that kind of that
kind of toughness about our team, you know, and we
(07:02):
also have great leadership, you know. Aliah Boston has been
a rock for us. She's just steady. She's probably been
the one player who is most affected by all the
change that we've had. I mean, most of our change
has been primary ball handlers, uh and so the way
that she gets the ball, the way that she gets touches,
the spacing on the floor that that are that is
created with those players who are now on the sideline,
(07:25):
you know, and she just continues to to do anything
and everything that we've asked her to do. Be a facilitator,
be a scorer, be an elite defender, be a rebounder.
And it looks different every single night. It looks different
depending on the matchup and how teams are going to
play us. But the way that she shows up. You know,
Natasha Howard, her leadership, she's three time champion, she's been
a Defensive Player of the Year, She's been in all
(07:47):
of these different situations. Uh, you know, her leadership has
been outstanding. You know, she continues to pour into these
young players and help them understand what it takes. You know.
Kelsey Mitchell has obviously been elite and she's put us
on her back, and she continues to just be a
go to, a shot maker, a playmaker, uh, someone who
(08:08):
who just continues to rise to the occasion for us.
And and those three in particular, and the way that
they have just embraced all of our new pieces. They
have not asked them to be anything other than themselves.
They've adjusted their game and their role to fit what
they bring to the table and allowed them to be
the best version of themselves, and I think because of
(08:31):
that leadership, because of that ability to continue to put
one foot in front of the other, to continue to
demand a certain kind of toughness, resilience and way that
we compete every single night, we've been able to position
ourselves to win ball games.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
So you brought up see Mitchell and the role that
she has assumed this season with the fever. She's also
one of the longest tenured players on the roster. What
have you seen from her in terms of her growth
this season?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, I mean, Kelsey Mitchell has been a player that
I've admired for so long. I called her games starting
when she was a freshman in college, and I remember
just watching the way that she worked. You know, her
and her dad would be working out pregame and you
know she would be be attacking the basket, lean down
to pick up the little bitty cones, not the big cones,
the little bitty cones, and then go into her move.
(09:32):
I mean she plays low to high, you can see that,
not high to low. And just her work ethics. She's
always been known as a great scorer, as a tough
shot maker. But the thing that I've been most impressed,
you know, in the absence of primary ball handlers, especially
with Caitlyn Clark, is is her her playmaking ability? You know,
Now she's not just scoring the basketball, She's finding her
open teammates. She's reading how defenses are covering her and
(09:55):
if they sent two or sometimes three to her, she's
making the right reads, making the right plays. We've also
had to ask her to be, you know, a primary
defender for us. Sometimes she's defending the best perimeter player
you know, on the opposing team, and we've had to
ask her to step up in that area as well,
all while carrying heavy minutes, all while playing efficient basketball,
(10:16):
and she stepped outside of herself. From a leadership standpoint,
She's always been someone who I think is led by
example in terms of how she competes, how hard she plays.
And now she's taken ownership of being a vocal leader
in the huddles, in the locker room. She is experienced,
she has been through the lows of this franchise. She
deserves to go through the highs, and she continues to
be a great leader for us in so many different ways.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Yeah, and another leader that we've been able to see
on the sidelines is Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, she's such a competitive player.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
You know, obviously her season ended due to injury, but
you can clearly see on the sidelines that she wants
to play.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
She wants to be on the court. What has it
been like watching.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Her handle being sideline and like working through the recovery
part this season.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Well, look, I continue to be impressed with her work ethic.
I mean, she is she is somebody who's in the
gym all the time. You know, she she works incredibly hard.
She's an perfectionist. She doesn't take plays off, and you know,
for for a player like her, I can imagine it's
very frustrating to be in a situation where you're not
on the floor. She loves to compete, she loves to play,
(11:20):
she loves this team, she loves her teammates, you know,
And and it's been it's been a roller coaster. I mean,
as someone who's who's had multiple injuries like I can
say that that it's just it's hard being away from
the team, and it's hard not doing what you love
to do. But what I've what I've absolutely been so
proud of her for is her continuing to pour into
her teammates I mean, she is the number one cheerleader
(11:42):
on the sideline. She continues to to be engaged in
everything that we do. Uh, talking to her teammates, communicating
what she sees to them, communicating what she sees to us,
you know, being a cheerleader for them, talking in huddles.
You know, it's it's it sucks when you're not able
to play, but you also can gain a different person
when you're watching from the sidelines, you know, see it
(12:02):
a little bit more from a coach's perspective, from a
coach's point of view.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And and you know, I don't doubt that Caitlin Clark
is always hungry, but you are hungrier when you're not
able to participate. And I think this season, you know,
has has She's gained a new perspective, a different perspective.
We have been able to watch her navigate that in
the classy, mature way that she does everything else. And
(12:26):
I have just continued to be impressed by how she
pours into and leads this team.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
As a coach, You've been able to work with lots
of generations for talent. I mean, Tamika Catchuns, Alyssa Thomas,
now Caitlin Clark. Uh, is there any similarities that you
see through in terms of a through line with some
of these generational type of players.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think, first and foremost, they are incredibly competitive, the
most competitive players on the team, There's no doubt.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
You know, they're they refuse to lose. They want to
win everything, whether it's a drill, a half court shot,
you know, uh, the ball game, whatever it is. You know,
the willingness to to do all the things that it
takes to do that, you know. I think the other
thing is just just the way that there's a work
ethic and there's a work style, right, Like you can
you can be in the gym for a long time
(13:11):
and get very little accomplished, or you can be in
the gym from a purposeful standpoint and get so much accomplished.
And the way that they work, how they work, how
purposeful they are, and everything that they do, not taking
plays off, you know, not taking possessions off, not taking
workouts off. Uh, it matters. It matters, And that's a separator.
You know, every player in the w n b A
(13:31):
is an elite talent and a great player, and what
separates the best of the best is that work style.
As much as their work ethic and their commitment to
being the best that they can that they can be
every single day, and and that competitive spirit, competitive fire.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I want to dive into the playoffs. You said the
win of the week was get in one stealing one
in Vegas in game one. What impressed you the most
about your team in game one? Our discipline on the
defensive end of the floor. No, we didn't do everything perfectly,
but we played with multiple levels of effort. We stayed
disciplined and defended without fouling, which was going to be
a key for us.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
We have to keep Vegas off the free throw line,
and we had we have to stay disciplined in terms
of our coverages and our point of attacks. And you know,
you cannot give a team like Vegas all three areas.
That's scoring in the paint, scoring from the free point line,
and scoring from the free throw line. And we were
able to neutralize a couple of those areas, and that's
what we have to do. So I was really pleased
(14:24):
with our defensive execution and our defensive discipline. Yeah, and
Asia Wilson went six for twenty two in that game.
How do you prepare for a player like Asia Wilson
in the aces. How do you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Prepare for a group like that.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I mean, I think the biggest thing is, you know,
she's the best player in the world. You're not going
to take away what she does best. You know, she
she missed a lot of shots that she typically makes.
We just have to try to keep her off balance
and try to make her shots as tough as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I think ab was quoted as saying, I just tried
to be annoying and that that's it. I mean, you
just have to try to make it as difficult as possible.
She's gonna She's gonna do what she does best. There's
a reason she is a four time MVP of this league.
But we can't allow Asia Wilson to go off and
then allow them to get you know, multiple three point
field goals for everybody else on the roster and then
(15:16):
allow them to get to the to the free throw line.
And they are at their best when that ball is moving,
it is pinging, they're sharing the basketball. So we have
to try to be disciplined enough to to force them
to play off the bounds, to force them to hit
tough twos, to make them be individual playmakers as opposed
to consistently putting us in rotation and getting exactly what
they want on the offensive end.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
A lot of the headlines called the fever the underdogs.
When it comes to, you know, the semi finals matchup
is do you guys view yourselves as underdogs in this
point of the season.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
I don't think we really view ourselves as anything other
than just wanting to go out and to compete every
single day. You know, we don't listen to the outside noise.
You know, we keep our locker room very insulated. You know,
we we know what what we're capable of, and every
single day we want to compete to the best of
our ability, to compete to our standard, which is to
be relentless, which is to be disciplined, which is to
(16:09):
play play hard and put one another in positions to
be successful. And when you do those things, you know,
you give yourselves opportunities to win. And and so, you know,
it doesn't matter if we're considered the underdog, if we're
considered the favorite, we want to approach it the same way.
So we try not to get caught up in all
of that. We try to just show up to work
every single day. And play hard for each other, continue
(16:31):
to put one another in positions to be successful. And
when we do that and we give ourselves every opportunity,
we can be proud of that every time we step in,
step on and off the floor.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I feel like the through line for a lot of
W players this season, players like Veronica Burton and Atlanta Smith,
has been like right team, right timing, right system, and
a player like Odyssey Sims, I mean in game one
and what she's been able to do coming in as
someone on a hardship contract for this team has been outstanding.
What have you seen from her in Why is it
(17:01):
in the W that players like her can't really get
those full time contracts to play on a team full time?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't know that I
have an answer to that question necessarily, but you're absolutely
right when it's right team, you know, right opportunity and
and sometimes and even with with draft picks, it's not
you know where you're drafted in terms of number, it's
where you're drafted in terms of fit, and it's so
important and you know at any position. And I was
fortunate enough to have Veronica Burton in Connecticut last year
(17:30):
and one of the hardest workers that that I've ever
been around. I'm so proud of her and happy for
her as well. But with Odyssey specifically, you know, she
has what we needed. You know. We we we lose
Caitlin Clark, we lose Aery McDonald, we lose Sid Colson,
primary playmakers, who can who can get downhill, who can
play in a lot of different ways. And we needed
someone who could take some pressure off of Kelsey Mitchell
(17:52):
to be our only playmaker. And Honesty has come in
and and and done incredibly well for us. You know,
we are at our best when she is aggressive to
the rim, when she is making plays, and our team
has embraced that and and and try to put her
in positions to be able to do that. You know,
and I think again, like, that's one of the things
I love most about our team. It's it's not Odyssey,
(18:14):
Shay Bree Haul you know, aerial powers, Chloe Bibby when
she came in on a hardship contract, Aery McDonald when
she came in on a hard hardship contract. It's not
you have to fit into what we do. It is
we will maneuver around so that you can do what
you do best and we will figure out how to
play with that. And that's not easy to do. It's
(18:34):
not easy to do, but I think what it does
is it allows the players that we've had that have
come in on these hardship contracts to feel comfortable right
and to feel like they're seen and to feel like
they're valued because they are, and they have all lifted
us up in moments where where we've needed them to.
You know, I thought those two buckets that shape Eddy
made in this ball game were huge. She had a
(18:55):
big time three for us. In Game three. Aerial Powers
Energy has been big time for as well. You know,
it's just it's just a really special group, a couple
of games away from clinching to the finals.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
What's the focus heading into Game two?
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's a long series and every
game is is is like a one game series, and
that's how we have to approach it. And you know,
we fully expect Vegas to come out and to to
to be a different version of themselves. I mean, they
have shown that they they have been at times the
best team in this league. You know, they have five Olympians,
the best player in the league, no doubt, about it.
So we have to expect their best shot. We've we've
(19:31):
got to expect them to make adjustments. We know the
energy is gonna be and the environment is going to
be incredible, but we have to still compete in the
way that we know how. You know, we can't afford
to to make a lot of mistakes. You know, we've
got to be disciplined in what we do. We've got
to stay aggressive. We've got to maintain pace. So our
defensive energy, execution and pace, to me are our top
two keys.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Right looking big picture, what does success look like in
this chapter with the Fever.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Yeah, I mean I think just getting this franchise to
another level. Uh, to consistently be in the hut, Uh,
to compete for championships again. You know, it's where we
had been. It's where we were, you know, continuing to
bring high character people into this organization. You know, we
we want to we want to lead by example, not
just on the floor, but in our community of what
(20:18):
it means to to you know, not just not just
be good teammates and but what it means to be
leaders in community. What it means to embrace everyone, to
be open and accepting and uh, to embrace everyone, and
and and I think that we have a great group
of people who do that. And we want to continue
to make our franchise in our city proud by putting
us not just in positions to win ball games, but
in positions, you know, for success and to showcase what
(20:41):
we mean to one another and what this franchise means
to us.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, and I feel like this year, above all, you
all have definitely exceeded the expectations of of what was expected.
It's especially in spite of like all of the injuries
and the diversity that you face. But what excites you
the most about where this team is headed, Well, I
think number one just the hunger and the and the
drive that Disc has had. When I took the job,
I was talking about these young players and that and.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
And said, there's no substitute for experience. You know, last
year was their first first season of playoff experience. You know,
this year the first taste of winning and winning in
a first round and getting to a semi finals. And
you have to experience this, You have to go through
this to understand the urgency that it takes. To understand
that it requires a different version of yourselves and your team,
(21:26):
and I'm most proud that our team is getting this
experience that it's continuing to lay in and pour into
the foundation that we want to lay for the future
of our franchise.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Well, Coach White, I want to thank you for joining
us this week on In Case You Missed It with
Christina Williams here on the iHeartRadio Woman's sports network. Truly
a pleasure and best.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Of luck in the playoffs. Thank you appreciate it. Thanks
for having me all right.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Toal that's going to do it for this week's episode
of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I want to thank Coach.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
White again for stopping by this week to talk all
things WNBA playoffs. Don't forget to subscribe to our show
and rate and review the show.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
We'll see you back here next week.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
You can find us on
Speaker 1 (22:18):
The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome to another episode of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams here on Iheartwomen's Sports Network
and in case you missed a Gang. The w NBA
(00:21):
Semifinals have officially commenced and so you know, we had
to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Big this week.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Stephanie White brings seventeen seasons of WNBA experience as a
player and coach. She led the Fever to the twenty
fifteen WNBA Finals and helped guide them to a championship
as an assistant in twenty twelve. She also spent two
seasons with the Connecticut Sun, guiding them to the WNBA
Semifinals both years. And today, we are thrilled to welcome
(00:50):
the head coach of the Indiana Fever, Stephanie White, to
the show. Coach White, Welcome to In Case.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You missed It.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
We always start the show here with our guest sharing
a personal a professional win of the week.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So what would you say was a win for you
this week?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Oh, Jush, Well, professional win? I think obviously, is us
being in this position and being able to come in
and get game one. It's you know, it's a long series, certainly,
but to be able to come on the road and
get game one is huge personal win, I would say selfishly,
is that we're going to be at home this coming weekend,
(01:32):
and it is my oldest son's fourteenth birthday, and this
is the first birthday in the last three years since
I've been back coaching in the WNBA that I actually
get to spend it with him. So that's a personal win.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Nothing like some quality time with your family and of
course celebrating those big moments.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So I want to switch gears a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
You've returned as a head coach this season to the
Indiana Fever. How does this chapter feel for you personally
compared to earlier points in your career.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I mean it feels great. You know, this is a
franchise that really is in the fabric of my DNA.
I played for this franchise, you know, I'm from Indiana,
played most of my career in Indiana, worked in this
organization at various points, and it truly is coming home
and this is an organization that I love. Take a
(02:21):
lot of pride in in in the types of teams
that we put on the floor and the way that
we represent our franchise, our city, our state. And so
I'm I'm really just just happy, you know, content and
thankful for the opportunity to be back at home.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You have so much experience as a coach and also
of course as a player. How do you approach that
in terms of your leadership when you think about where
you are right now and probably like your first stint
in Indiana, Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Mean, obviously ten years is a long time, and so
we grow, we mature, you know, I think probably things
that used to bother me, uh don't bother me as
much anymore. You know, like experience, it happens, and you know,
I think the biggest thing for me is, you know,
when I communicate with players, I communicate in a way
that that I would have wanted as a player. Just
be transparent, you know, being honest. Continue to to hold
(03:14):
them accountable and hold them to a standard certainly, but
also to let them know like how how much I
care about them, you know, how much pride I have
in being their coach. Continue to put them in positions
to be successful, you know, show them and tell them,
and how much we believe in them as as as
as players, and how much we care about them as
human beings. I mean, you know, I think when you
(03:35):
look at our team specifically from the outside, you know,
I don't think you can truly grasp the type of
character these women have. And and and bringing high character
people into our organization was a number one priority. And
and these guys care about one another, they care about
the team. They want to put each other in positions
to be successful.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I mean, obviously there's healthy ego individually, because that's why
they're where they are, but at the same time, they
sacrificed that selfish ego for the betterment of the team.
It's just a really good group of women. And I'm
just so proud to be their coach and proud of
what we've done up until this point and what we'll
hopefully continue to do.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, that was sort of like a part of my
next question in terms of the season, like dealing with
the ups and downs, the injuries, the roster changes. As
a coach, how did you how are you able one
to keep everyone moving forward even though you had so
much adversity throughout the season. And you know what was
the plan in terms of I know you didn't expect
(04:35):
this probably happened in your fre season back in Indianda
to deal with so much different things, so many different changes.
But how are you able to keep everyone like kind
of grounded and keep the main thing the main thing?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean, I think first and foremost. You know,
our staff has been through so many different scenarios. You know,
it reminds me a little bit of our team in
twenty twelve when we won the championship. We lost Katie
Douglas in the semi finals, lostten up Poland in the
in the for in the i think game one or
game two of the finals against Minnesota, and we just
(05:06):
had to continue to put one foot in front of
the other. You know. It's it's this is you know,
a combination of a lot of different things that we've
we've we've experienced. Certainly didn't expect it all to happen
in one season. But I think the biggest thing is
just number one, when you have high character women and
and you can continue to just lead by example, Like
what what we have to do is we have to
problem solve and we have to figure out a different way.
(05:28):
It's not in the way that we thought we were
going to play, it's not with who we thought we
were going to be playing with. But we've got great
players on our team. We've just got to continue to
to manipulate in a way that that puts them in
different positions to be successful than we had originally intended.
We've got to continue to pour into them to let
them know that that we have enough in this locker room,
(05:49):
and and we've got to keep be creative, you know,
as a staff in terms of what we do, how
we do it, simplify in a way that it's it's
easier for new players to come in and be able
to to do what we want, but but also help
them understand that just because the personnel has changed does
not mean the standard has changed. And how we approach
every single day and this group is just continue to
(06:10):
put one foot in front of the other. And they've
continued to step up to every challenge that we've had
and continue to bring the best out in one another.
And I think that's one of the things that I'm
most proud of.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Okay, and I like that you compared you know, that
twenty twelve team to this group in terms of the
adversity phased in just the fight that both groups had.
When you look back at that twenty twelve team and
compare it to this one, what are some qualities that
you see in terms of the will to win and
what it takes to win a championship. There's no easy
feat to win a championship, especially in the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
No, there's not, and everything really does have to fall
in mind. I mean, it certainly does take some luck
as well, you know. I think the biggest quality is
resilience and toughness. I mean, Tamika Catching's led that group,
and she's one of the toughest, most resilient players I've
ever been around. And we have that kind of that
kind of toughness about our team, you know, and we
(07:02):
also have great leadership, you know. Aliah Boston has been
a rock for us. She's just steady. She's probably been
the one player who is most affected by all the
change that we've had. I mean, most of our change
has been primary ball handlers, uh and so the way
that she gets the ball, the way that she gets touches,
the spacing on the floor that that are that is
created with those players who are now on the sideline,
(07:25):
you know, and she just continues to to do anything
and everything that we've asked her to do. Be a facilitator,
be a scorer, be an elite defender, be a rebounder.
And it looks different every single night. It looks different
depending on the matchup and how teams are going to
play us. But the way that she shows up. You know,
Natasha Howard, her leadership, she's three time champion, she's been
a Defensive Player of the Year, She's been in all
(07:47):
of these different situations. Uh, you know, her leadership has
been outstanding. You know, she continues to pour into these
young players and help them understand what it takes. You know.
Kelsey Mitchell has obviously been elite and she's put us
on her back, and she continues to just be a
go to, a shot maker, a playmaker, uh, someone who
(08:08):
who just continues to rise to the occasion for us.
And and those three in particular, and the way that
they have just embraced all of our new pieces. They
have not asked them to be anything other than themselves.
They've adjusted their game and their role to fit what
they bring to the table and allowed them to be
the best version of themselves, and I think because of
(08:31):
that leadership, because of that ability to continue to put
one foot in front of the other, to continue to
demand a certain kind of toughness, resilience and way that
we compete every single night, we've been able to position
ourselves to win ball games.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
So you brought up see Mitchell and the role that
she has assumed this season with the fever. She's also
one of the longest tenured players on the roster. What
have you seen from her in terms of her growth
this season?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, I mean, Kelsey Mitchell has been a player that
I've admired for so long. I called her games starting
when she was a freshman in college, and I remember
just watching the way that she worked. You know, her
and her dad would be working out pregame and you
know she would be be attacking the basket, lean down
to pick up the little bitty cones, not the big cones,
the little bitty cones, and then go into her move.
(09:32):
I mean she plays low to high, you can see that,
not high to low. And just her work ethics. She's
always been known as a great scorer, as a tough
shot maker. But the thing that I've been most impressed,
you know, in the absence of primary ball handlers, especially
with Caitlyn Clark, is is her her playmaking ability? You know,
Now she's not just scoring the basketball, She's finding her
open teammates. She's reading how defenses are covering her and
(09:55):
if they sent two or sometimes three to her, she's
making the right reads, making the right plays. We've also
had to ask her to be, you know, a primary
defender for us. Sometimes she's defending the best perimeter player
you know, on the opposing team, and we've had to
ask her to step up in that area as well,
all while carrying heavy minutes, all while playing efficient basketball,
(10:16):
and she stepped outside of herself. From a leadership standpoint,
She's always been someone who I think is led by
example in terms of how she competes, how hard she plays.
And now she's taken ownership of being a vocal leader
in the huddles, in the locker room. She is experienced,
she has been through the lows of this franchise. She
deserves to go through the highs, and she continues to
be a great leader for us in so many different ways.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Yeah, and another leader that we've been able to see
on the sidelines is Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, she's such a competitive player.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
You know, obviously her season ended due to injury, but
you can clearly see on the sidelines that she wants
to play.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
She wants to be on the court. What has it
been like watching.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Her handle being sideline and like working through the recovery
part this season.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Well, look, I continue to be impressed with her work ethic.
I mean, she is she is somebody who's in the
gym all the time. You know, she she works incredibly hard.
She's an perfectionist. She doesn't take plays off, and you know,
for for a player like her, I can imagine it's
very frustrating to be in a situation where you're not
on the floor. She loves to compete, she loves to play,
(11:20):
she loves this team, she loves her teammates, you know,
And and it's been it's been a roller coaster. I mean,
as someone who's who's had multiple injuries like I can
say that that it's just it's hard being away from
the team, and it's hard not doing what you love
to do. But what I've what I've absolutely been so
proud of her for is her continuing to pour into
her teammates I mean, she is the number one cheerleader
(11:42):
on the sideline. She continues to to be engaged in
everything that we do. Uh, talking to her teammates, communicating
what she sees to them, communicating what she sees to us,
you know, being a cheerleader for them, talking in huddles.
You know, it's it's it sucks when you're not able
to play, but you also can gain a different person
when you're watching from the sidelines, you know, see it
(12:02):
a little bit more from a coach's perspective, from a
coach's point of view.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And and you know, I don't doubt that Caitlin Clark
is always hungry, but you are hungrier when you're not
able to participate. And I think this season, you know,
has has She's gained a new perspective, a different perspective.
We have been able to watch her navigate that in
the classy, mature way that she does everything else. And
(12:26):
I have just continued to be impressed by how she
pours into and leads this team.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
As a coach, You've been able to work with lots
of generations for talent. I mean, Tamika Catchuns, Alyssa Thomas,
now Caitlin Clark. Uh, is there any similarities that you
see through in terms of a through line with some
of these generational type of players.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think, first and foremost, they are incredibly competitive, the
most competitive players on the team, There's no doubt.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
You know, they're they refuse to lose. They want to
win everything, whether it's a drill, a half court shot,
you know, uh, the ball game, whatever it is. You know,
the willingness to to do all the things that it
takes to do that, you know. I think the other
thing is just just the way that there's a work
ethic and there's a work style, right, Like you can
you can be in the gym for a long time
(13:11):
and get very little accomplished, or you can be in
the gym from a purposeful standpoint and get so much accomplished.
And the way that they work, how they work, how
purposeful they are, and everything that they do, not taking
plays off, you know, not taking possessions off, not taking
workouts off. Uh, it matters. It matters, And that's a separator.
You know, every player in the w n b A
(13:31):
is an elite talent and a great player, and what
separates the best of the best is that work style.
As much as their work ethic and their commitment to
being the best that they can that they can be
every single day, and and that competitive spirit, competitive fire.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I want to dive into the playoffs. You said the
win of the week was get in one stealing one
in Vegas in game one. What impressed you the most
about your team in game one? Our discipline on the
defensive end of the floor. No, we didn't do everything perfectly,
but we played with multiple levels of effort. We stayed
disciplined and defended without fouling, which was going to be
a key for us.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
We have to keep Vegas off the free throw line,
and we had we have to stay disciplined in terms
of our coverages and our point of attacks. And you know,
you cannot give a team like Vegas all three areas.
That's scoring in the paint, scoring from the free point line,
and scoring from the free throw line. And we were
able to neutralize a couple of those areas, and that's
what we have to do. So I was really pleased
(14:24):
with our defensive execution and our defensive discipline. Yeah, and
Asia Wilson went six for twenty two in that game.
How do you prepare for a player like Asia Wilson
in the aces. How do you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Prepare for a group like that.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I mean, I think the biggest thing is, you know,
she's the best player in the world. You're not going
to take away what she does best. You know, she
she missed a lot of shots that she typically makes.
We just have to try to keep her off balance
and try to make her shots as tough as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I think ab was quoted as saying, I just tried
to be annoying and that that's it. I mean, you
just have to try to make it as difficult as possible.
She's gonna She's gonna do what she does best. There's
a reason she is a four time MVP of this league.
But we can't allow Asia Wilson to go off and
then allow them to get you know, multiple three point
field goals for everybody else on the roster and then
(15:16):
allow them to get to the to the free throw line.
And they are at their best when that ball is moving,
it is pinging, they're sharing the basketball. So we have
to try to be disciplined enough to to force them
to play off the bounds, to force them to hit
tough twos, to make them be individual playmakers as opposed
to consistently putting us in rotation and getting exactly what
they want on the offensive end.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
A lot of the headlines called the fever the underdogs.
When it comes to, you know, the semi finals matchup
is do you guys view yourselves as underdogs in this
point of the season.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
I don't think we really view ourselves as anything other
than just wanting to go out and to compete every
single day. You know, we don't listen to the outside noise.
You know, we keep our locker room very insulated. You know,
we we know what what we're capable of, and every
single day we want to compete to the best of
our ability, to compete to our standard, which is to
be relentless, which is to be disciplined, which is to
(16:09):
play play hard and put one another in positions to
be successful. And when you do those things, you know,
you give yourselves opportunities to win. And and so, you know,
it doesn't matter if we're considered the underdog, if we're
considered the favorite, we want to approach it the same way.
So we try not to get caught up in all
of that. We try to just show up to work
every single day. And play hard for each other, continue
(16:31):
to put one another in positions to be successful. And
when we do that and we give ourselves every opportunity,
we can be proud of that every time we step in,
step on and off the floor.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I feel like the through line for a lot of
W players this season, players like Veronica Burton and Atlanta Smith,
has been like right team, right timing, right system, and
a player like Odyssey Sims, I mean in game one
and what she's been able to do coming in as
someone on a hardship contract for this team has been outstanding.
What have you seen from her in Why is it
(17:01):
in the W that players like her can't really get
those full time contracts to play on a team full time?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't know that I
have an answer to that question necessarily, but you're absolutely
right when it's right team, you know, right opportunity and
and sometimes and even with with draft picks, it's not
you know where you're drafted in terms of number, it's
where you're drafted in terms of fit, and it's so
important and you know at any position. And I was
fortunate enough to have Veronica Burton in Connecticut last year
(17:30):
and one of the hardest workers that that I've ever
been around. I'm so proud of her and happy for
her as well. But with Odyssey specifically, you know, she
has what we needed. You know. We we we lose
Caitlin Clark, we lose Aery McDonald, we lose Sid Colson,
primary playmakers, who can who can get downhill, who can
play in a lot of different ways. And we needed
someone who could take some pressure off of Kelsey Mitchell
(17:52):
to be our only playmaker. And Honesty has come in
and and and done incredibly well for us. You know,
we are at our best when she is aggressive to
the rim, when she is making plays, and our team
has embraced that and and and try to put her
in positions to be able to do that. You know,
and I think again, like, that's one of the things
I love most about our team. It's it's not Odyssey,
(18:14):
Shay Bree Haul you know, aerial powers, Chloe Bibby when
she came in on a hardship contract, Aery McDonald when
she came in on a hard hardship contract. It's not
you have to fit into what we do. It is
we will maneuver around so that you can do what
you do best and we will figure out how to
play with that. And that's not easy to do. It's
(18:34):
not easy to do, but I think what it does
is it allows the players that we've had that have
come in on these hardship contracts to feel comfortable right
and to feel like they're seen and to feel like
they're valued because they are, and they have all lifted
us up in moments where where we've needed them to.
You know, I thought those two buckets that shape Eddy
made in this ball game were huge. She had a
(18:55):
big time three for us. In Game three. Aerial Powers
Energy has been big time for as well. You know,
it's just it's just a really special group, a couple
of games away from clinching to the finals.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
What's the focus heading into Game two?
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's a long series and every
game is is is like a one game series, and
that's how we have to approach it. And you know,
we fully expect Vegas to come out and to to
to be a different version of themselves. I mean, they
have shown that they they have been at times the
best team in this league. You know, they have five Olympians,
the best player in the league, no doubt, about it.
So we have to expect their best shot. We've we've
(19:31):
got to expect them to make adjustments. We know the
energy is gonna be and the environment is going to
be incredible, but we have to still compete in the
way that we know how. You know, we can't afford
to to make a lot of mistakes. You know, we've
got to be disciplined in what we do. We've got
to stay aggressive. We've got to maintain pace. So our
defensive energy, execution and pace, to me are our top
two keys.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Right looking big picture, what does success look like in
this chapter with the Fever.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Yeah, I mean I think just getting this franchise to
another level. Uh, to consistently be in the hut, Uh,
to compete for championships again. You know, it's where we
had been. It's where we were, you know, continuing to
bring high character people into this organization. You know, we
we want to we want to lead by example, not
just on the floor, but in our community of what
(20:18):
it means to to you know, not just not just
be good teammates and but what it means to be
leaders in community. What it means to embrace everyone, to
be open and accepting and uh, to embrace everyone, and
and and I think that we have a great group
of people who do that. And we want to continue
to make our franchise in our city proud by putting
us not just in positions to win ball games, but
in positions, you know, for success and to showcase what
(20:41):
we mean to one another and what this franchise means
to us.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, and I feel like this year, above all, you
all have definitely exceeded the expectations of of what was expected.
It's especially in spite of like all of the injuries
and the diversity that you face. But what excites you
the most about where this team is headed, Well, I
think number one just the hunger and the and the
drive that Disc has had. When I took the job,
I was talking about these young players and that and.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
And said, there's no substitute for experience. You know, last
year was their first first season of playoff experience. You know,
this year the first taste of winning and winning in
a first round and getting to a semi finals. And
you have to experience this, You have to go through
this to understand the urgency that it takes. To understand
that it requires a different version of yourselves and your team,
(21:26):
and I'm most proud that our team is getting this
experience that it's continuing to lay in and pour into
the foundation that we want to lay for the future
of our franchise.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Well, Coach White, I want to thank you for joining
us this week on In Case You Missed It with
Christina Williams here on the iHeartRadio Woman's sports network. Truly
a pleasure and best.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Of luck in the playoffs. Thank you appreciate it. Thanks
for having me all right.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Toal that's going to do it for this week's episode
of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I want to thank Coach.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
White again for stopping by this week to talk all
things WNBA playoffs. Don't forget to subscribe to our show
and rate and review the show.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
We'll see you back here next week.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
You can find us on
Speaker 1 (22:18):
The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Khristina Williams
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