October 3, 2025 • 19 mins
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White makes her final appearance of the season on Query & Company to recap an emotional season that ended earlier in this week. She also comments on where the league is at right now, accesses if the WNBA has the right leadership right now, and highlights what was different about this group compared to any other group of players that she has coached.
Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I was super worried that when coach Stephanie White or
the Fever said she likes Adele and that that's what
she wanted as her intro music that considering that their
year came to an end, I was worried that you
were going to get snarky with it in play the
we could have had it all the end. Then it
gets uncomfortable, you know what I mean, because there are
two ways when a season ends. I think oftentimes and
(00:22):
look for any team, it goes without saying for any
team when a season ends, there is disappointment right in
the moment, but then you can kind of step back
and get a broader view of it. And I wanted
to do exactly that with the head coach of the
Indiana Fever who joins us on the program, Stephanie White, coach,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing all right? How about you?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
No complaints? I wanted to I wanted to begin with this.
I wanted to read you this, and this is one
of many comments that I got when we talked about,
you know, that overtime performance with Las Vegas and everything
that went into that game and the resolve that your
team showed. I got the following from a guy who
is a high school basketball coach. He said last night,
(01:08):
it was so spot on when everything you talked about
and how it leads to being so proud of a
sports team. Win or lose is one thing, but sometimes
a team does everything that you would want in a team,
and it's something that is a fan it makes you
proud of the fact that they represent nice job to
the fever of representing Indiana basketball the right way, and
(01:29):
I totally agree with that. And I'm curious though, if
you know, from a professional standpoint, because you have a
job to do, coach, are you able to really step
back and say that was remarkable what we were able
to do.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
You know, I think maybe in a couple of weeks
I'll be able to do that. Really realistically, you look
at it and you think, yes, it's pretty remarkable. But
at the same time, that's what sport is all about.
Out I mean, we think about, you know, the history
of sport. It's it's oftentimes the most inspirational stories are
(02:07):
the are the you know, remarkable ones right against all
odds ones, the ones that have you know, really good
human beings that that set an example for for life,
not just for sport. And you know that's what this
group was, you know. And and oftentimes when you when
you may not be as talented as your opponent, or
when you may not you know, have have all of
(02:30):
the things that that that that that other teams or
other people do, it takes the intangibles, uh, and it
takes the connectedness, and it takes uh something different inside
of you. And and I think that that's what this
group has had you.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
There was a clip that was shown on television where
they had you miked up and during a time it
was after Kelsey Mitchell had gone down. And you know,
we now know that that injury. And I want to
give full kudos and credit to the medical staff that
was there because we thought it was just oce as
a leg cramp, and we now know that that's something
that could have been more severe and will be monitored
(03:05):
moving forward. But thankfully they were just so fast to
act on that and and and that deserves a tip
of the cap. But you've got to then kind of
rally your team together and you're saying to them, no
one is more prepared for and I'm paraphrasing, no one
is better built to be able to respond to this
than we are. Nobody can handle this like we can.
(03:25):
When you were saying that, coach, could you see in
their eyes that they that they believed what you were saying?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Uh, you know, I think I saw fear to start.
And that's why I said it, because we had had
so many of those of those moments, and at the time,
we obviously didn't know what was going on with Kelsey. Uh.
We thought it was cramp cramping as well, and so
you know, the severity of of of what was happening
wasn't there. But in any time you see a teammate
(03:54):
go down, it's it's hard and and we've had all
well many of those moments unfortunately throughout the course of
the year, and we've had to rally around them and
rally for them, and and and rally one another, and
so you know, in that moment, it was just a
sense that it could have been been a breaking point
(04:15):
for our team, but reminding them what we've been through,
reminding them that we could find another gear, find another level,
that we could find something inside of us that was
playing for something more than just to win a basketball game,
because we had done it multiple times, and quite frankly,
just reminding them who they are in that moment, and
(04:36):
and and whether it was going to go our way
or not, you know, we we still needed to find
something to play for.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And by the way, that injury for those that are unfamiliar,
and it's a medical term that I'm not even going
to try to pronounce, but essentially what happened was she
had a muscle deficiency. Were her muscles for a five
to seven second period essentially paralyzed on her and she
could not move her muscles, And that is something that
will be monitored moving forward. We certainly hope the best
for Kelsey Mitchell in terms of the way that in
(05:09):
that game, I just thought it was a microcosm of
your season because every single time, and I'm not gonna
lie to you, Stephanie White, the Fever coaches, our guest
here with sport coach, and I think you know this.
You know, sometimes when you are involved from a working
standpoint in a game, you see it differently. You know this.
(05:31):
I mean you've done radio and done television analysis of games.
You just kind of watch it differently, right, like the
fandom and you kind of goes away, right. It is
becomes rare with teams that all of a sudden, I
get fifteen year old me comes out again and I'm
pacing and whatever else. I actually did that in this
game because I wanted. It was such a great story,
(05:51):
and I loved the resolve of it. And every time
it got to like five points, I thought, oh gosh,
and then I'd turn around and I come back and boom,
it's tied again. It was a microcosm of exactly your year.
How was that? What is it about this group that
was different?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Uh? You know, I think number one, I truly believe
in my heart that connected teams are winning teams, and
this is a group that was incredibly connected. And it's
it's not something that you can produce. It's something that
happens organically. And this group, no matter who came into
(06:34):
the locker room at what point in the season, they
came into the locker room that the people who had
been here navigated, embraced, empowered, and also showed them the way.
You know, we had gosh, four or five five people
on our team that didn't start the year with us,
if I'm right about that, And our mantra from the
(06:55):
very beginning of the year was we over me. You know,
We started the season understanding that we had a lot
of talent in the room, in the locker room. But
also with with a lot of talent comes challenges because
not everybody's going to get to play, even when they
should deserve to play, you know, not everything. And and and
so we we started the year talking about we over
me and every time a new player came in, they
(07:17):
hadn't been in our locker room since April. But the
players in our locker room lived that. They showed them
how to live, that they they they they held them
accountable to that, and and that that connectedness, that sacrifice
for one another, the sacrifice for for the team. Uh,
it just it enabled us to find another level and
(07:39):
and another year. And you know, it's in sport, it's
about getting tot at the right time. And and this
group did that, did that, I think you know, when
we did it was a result of that had probably
been the team that had been together the longest throughout
the course of the season. And and again, as we
know in sports, especially when you're watching it from an
analytical perspective and not a fan perspective, if it does
(08:01):
take time to build that chemistry and connectedness and connectivity
on the floor, and that group had the time to
do it. I'm not sure at any other point in
the season we had a consistent enough you know, eight nine,
ten players that were playing that we were able to
do that.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
When you look at Stephanie White, the head coach of
the Fever, is our guest coach over the course of
the year, you know, especially with when you have a
player like Caitlyn Clark who is such a transcendent star. Right,
so you're going to have people following what your team
is doing that maybe didn't even follow the WNBA three
years ago. You're going to have people that don't follow
the WNBA but follow Kitlin Clark, et cetera. From a
(08:38):
coaching standpoint at times, that can create no win situations
because you're going to be scrutinized in whichever way you
play it in any aspect when it comes to a
player like that. There was critique of Stephanie White at
the beginning of the year before really Caitlin Clark went
down with injury, just over the play and then the
way things came together and the fact that at the
(09:00):
end of the year everyone's saying this is coach at
the year level stuff. Did you feel vindicated?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, I mean, I you know, obviously we don't really
do it too for other people's opinions. You know, it's
it's I had a coach when I very first started coaching.
Tell me, if I started listening to the people that
were that were in the stands, then then I wouldn't
be coaching very long and I'd be sitting with them
before too long. So, you know, we don't do it
for that. We don't do it for them.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We do it for our players and our team, and
we do it because we love the game, and we
do it because we love the sport. You know, I
love this franchise, and nobody is ever going to be happy.
You know. I appreciate uh fever basketball fans in particular,
and basketball fans from the state of Indiana, because they
know the game, they understand the nuance of the game,
(09:51):
and and so for me, uh, it wasn't really about vindication.
It was about just putting the best team and that
we could forward. I understand that it doesn't happen, you know, automatically.
I also understand that that it that it's it's one
of those things that you have to get lucky, like
you don't just go win championships like it is hard
(10:13):
to get to the finals. It is hard to win championships.
I know that there are teams who make it look easy,
and sometimes there are dynasties that make it look easy.
But because of my experience in this sport and twenty
six years in this league, you know, I understand the difference.
And I've been a part of some really great teams
and have also been a part of of the franchise
(10:33):
obviously when it first started. So so I don't know
vindicated is the right word, as much as I just
feel incredibly proud of the foundation that we laid in
terms of our culture. I feel really proud of the
group that came together to find a way. No matter what,
I feel really proud of my staff because I do
(10:56):
feel like we have the best staff you know, in
the league, and we're creating and we try to think
outside the box and we try to put people in
positions to be successful, and so I think more than anything,
I just the word that comes to mind at the
end of the year is just pride.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
When you look at the league itself, from the time
that you played to now, Stephanie White in the growth
of the league and the growth of the growth of
the interest of the league. One of the byproducts of
that is that means that the business aspect of it
is going to be scrutinized and people are going to
pay a lot more attention to it. That's become obviously,
and we're heading into an offseason that's going to be
fascinating with the collective bargaining. And then you have the commissioner,
(11:35):
Kathy Engelbert. I know you're aware of the comments that
NEFISA call you're made, and then Kitlyn Clark kind of
getting brought into that, Caitlyn Clark responding to it. What
has been your overall assessment of that dialogue and as
it relates to your star player.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Yeah, I mean I hate I hate it all for Caitlin.
You know, I feel like, you know, she's a twenty
three year old kid who loves to play the skame game,
who is a pawn in a lot of other people's
games and a lot of other people's narratives, and I
hate that for her. You know. It's it's we're coming
into a time in the w n b A where
(12:12):
we're where we're kind of part of the growing pains
of of of becoming quote unquote mainstreams professional sport is
some of this stuff. You know, I do think that
we are at a pivotal moment in terms of the
league's history. And look, I was a part of the
very first collective bargaining agreement of the w n b
A where we wanted insurance all year long. So now
(12:35):
where it is growing and players do deserve more, and
leadership needs to reflect, uh where we are as a
league and and and and also understand where we are
as a league and where players perspectives are coming from.
And you know, we have coaches on the sidelines and
in Becky Hammond and myself and of course no Epun
(12:55):
who was in Seattle, who played in this league, who
like this league is is is part of our of
our of our lifeblood. Like we we have grown up
in this league, and we take pride in this league
and the success of this league. And we also take
pride in understanding what needs to be done and in leadership.
And part of leadership is taking accountability. Part of leadership
(13:17):
is it is owning how we move the needle. Part
of leadership is not just recognizing uh, the people who
who who are part of this this league, but empowering
and embracing and understanding what they bring. And you know,
your employees are your number one asset, and and so
I I do feel like we're we're at a pivotal moment.
(13:39):
I do feel like we're at a time where where
all things have to be considered and where multiple truths
are do exist, certainly, and I think that sometimes right
now in our in our country and in our world,
we we forget that multiple truths can exist. But you know,
I think we are at that at that point to
begin to have these very hard conversations about what it
(13:59):
looks like moving forward.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Do you believe the w NBA has the leadership right
now that it needs?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You know, it's I think it's a tough question because
I do believe that that where we are and where
we have been, especially from a business standpoint, you know,
it's it's it's it's what we've needed. I do think
that there's another layer and level to having someone who
who understands the basketball side of the league, and whether
(14:28):
that's direct leadership or whether that's you know, building out
our basketball operations, our department, you know, within the league.
I do think that that the more that we can
get former players involved, the more that we can get
people who have grown up in this league who don't
see this league as it was ten years ago, as
it was fifteen years ago. You know, you've got to
(14:49):
see the league for what it is now and where
it's going. Much in the same way that college sports
is not what it was ten years ago, not what
it was five years ago. The WNBA is not what
it was ten years ago. And I do think that
there are some folks in leadership position who still think
of it that way. So I think we do need
some addition to our basketball operations part of the league,
(15:12):
and I think we do need some forward thinking in
that as well. But more than anything, accountability can go
a long way, and we just want some accountability for
some of the concerns that have been consistent concerns for
multiple years.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Do you with Caitlyn Clark in this as we move
forward coach like navigating through just being that pawn as
you said, does she have kind of her own team
that that guides are through that or does she lean
on you a lot in that regard as well?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Looks she is so mature for her age. I mean,
Jake thinking back to when we were twenty three years old.
Holy cow, I know it was a long time ago,
five years ago, right, but he's still mature. She she
she has people, you know, in her corner and and
people that can that can help her. She gets it,
(16:07):
she understands the big picture. You know, we'll have conversations.
You know, I've I've been in a very small way
in some of the some of the situations that she's
been in, you know, certainly not with with social media
and all of that stuff. But you know, we've got
players or in staff that that have played in this league,
(16:28):
but but no one outside of Tiger Woods, right of
Serena Williams. H you can probably name just maybe a
handful more of of athletes who have been the game
changers and who have experienced what Caitlin Clark is experiencing,
so that no one can can really relate to what
she's going through. I think the biggest thing is we
can be there for her. You know, we can. We
(16:51):
can offer perspective and and and do what we can
to help, you know, deflect and navigate and but at
the same time, you know, it's a life that she
has to lead, and you know, I think she does
it admirably. I'm not sure that myself at twenty three
years old or myself at forty eight years old could
(17:12):
do it in the same way that she does with
so much grace and humility.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Lastly, Coach, I wanted to share this and it sounds personal,
but it's public, and I'll tell you why. And I
know that I pointed this out to you. I've mentioned
this on the radio before as well. But over the
course of this season, my dad has gone through a
challenging medical period and while he is hopefully and thankfully
(17:37):
looks like he's going to be okay, it's not to
say that it has not been a long road with
a lot of challenges. And the one thing, literally the
one thing on the daily basis that was like my assignment,
was to make sure on his board where he is
getting his treatments, that he knows when the next fever
game's on. He has his fever hat that he would
put on for every game. He's been a lifelong sports fan.
(18:00):
I don't know that I've seen him magnetized towards a
group and towards a team in giving him on a
day to day basis a purpose like what you guys did.
And I say that not for the you know, awkward
nature of a personal story on the radio, but because
I think it's a public one, because I think so
(18:21):
many people in this town found that and saw that.
And I hope, while I know it's been a disappointment
in the way the year ended for you guys, and
you have a lot going on, that at some point
you're able to sit back and accept the gratitude of
a city and of a state for representing it the
right way and giving a lot of people a purpose.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, I appreciate that, Jake, thank you so much. And
you know this, like I said, this, this group is
you mentioned it doing it the right way, you know,
leading by example, and we often talk about, you know,
sport is the greatest, is the greatest indicator of life
and of life lessons. And I think that this group
(19:04):
has has shown, community, has shown, you know, the league
has shown the nation you know a lot of really
good life lessons and been leaders in a lot of
different ways, and so I'm really proud of them.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Well, coach enjoyed the off season. I know there's still
a lot of work to do. You are welcome back anytime,
but I am most most most most grateful for your
time over the course of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I appreciate Jake, thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Stephanie White, the head coach of the Indiana Fever
I was super worried that when coach Stephanie White or
the Fever said she likes Adele and that that's what
she wanted as her intro music that considering that their
year came to an end, I was worried that you
were going to get snarky with it in play the
we could have had it all the end. Then it
gets uncomfortable, you know what I mean, because there are
two ways when a season ends. I think oftentimes and
(00:22):
look for any team, it goes without saying for any
team when a season ends, there is disappointment right in
the moment, but then you can kind of step back
and get a broader view of it. And I wanted
to do exactly that with the head coach of the
Indiana Fever who joins us on the program, Stephanie White, coach,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing all right? How about you?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
No complaints? I wanted to I wanted to begin with this.
I wanted to read you this, and this is one
of many comments that I got when we talked about,
you know, that overtime performance with Las Vegas and everything
that went into that game and the resolve that your
team showed. I got the following from a guy who
is a high school basketball coach. He said last night,
(01:08):
it was so spot on when everything you talked about
and how it leads to being so proud of a
sports team. Win or lose is one thing, but sometimes
a team does everything that you would want in a team,
and it's something that is a fan it makes you
proud of the fact that they represent nice job to
the fever of representing Indiana basketball the right way, and
(01:29):
I totally agree with that. And I'm curious though, if
you know, from a professional standpoint, because you have a
job to do, coach, are you able to really step
back and say that was remarkable what we were able
to do.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
You know, I think maybe in a couple of weeks
I'll be able to do that. Really realistically, you look
at it and you think, yes, it's pretty remarkable. But
at the same time, that's what sport is all about.
Out I mean, we think about, you know, the history
of sport. It's it's oftentimes the most inspirational stories are
(02:07):
the are the you know, remarkable ones right against all
odds ones, the ones that have you know, really good
human beings that that set an example for for life,
not just for sport. And you know that's what this
group was, you know. And and oftentimes when you when
you may not be as talented as your opponent, or
when you may not you know, have have all of
(02:30):
the things that that that that that other teams or
other people do, it takes the intangibles, uh, and it
takes the connectedness, and it takes uh something different inside
of you. And and I think that that's what this
group has had you.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
There was a clip that was shown on television where
they had you miked up and during a time it
was after Kelsey Mitchell had gone down. And you know,
we now know that that injury. And I want to
give full kudos and credit to the medical staff that
was there because we thought it was just oce as
a leg cramp, and we now know that that's something
that could have been more severe and will be monitored
(03:05):
moving forward. But thankfully they were just so fast to
act on that and and and that deserves a tip
of the cap. But you've got to then kind of
rally your team together and you're saying to them, no
one is more prepared for and I'm paraphrasing, no one
is better built to be able to respond to this
than we are. Nobody can handle this like we can.
(03:25):
When you were saying that, coach, could you see in
their eyes that they that they believed what you were saying?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Uh, you know, I think I saw fear to start.
And that's why I said it, because we had had
so many of those of those moments, and at the time,
we obviously didn't know what was going on with Kelsey. Uh.
We thought it was cramp cramping as well, and so
you know, the severity of of of what was happening
wasn't there. But in any time you see a teammate
(03:54):
go down, it's it's hard and and we've had all
well many of those moments unfortunately throughout the course of
the year, and we've had to rally around them and
rally for them, and and and rally one another, and
so you know, in that moment, it was just a
sense that it could have been been a breaking point
(04:15):
for our team, but reminding them what we've been through,
reminding them that we could find another gear, find another level,
that we could find something inside of us that was
playing for something more than just to win a basketball game,
because we had done it multiple times, and quite frankly,
just reminding them who they are in that moment, and
(04:36):
and and whether it was going to go our way
or not, you know, we we still needed to find
something to play for.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And by the way, that injury for those that are unfamiliar,
and it's a medical term that I'm not even going
to try to pronounce, but essentially what happened was she
had a muscle deficiency. Were her muscles for a five
to seven second period essentially paralyzed on her and she
could not move her muscles, And that is something that
will be monitored moving forward. We certainly hope the best
for Kelsey Mitchell in terms of the way that in
(05:09):
that game, I just thought it was a microcosm of
your season because every single time, and I'm not gonna
lie to you, Stephanie White, the Fever coaches, our guest
here with sport coach, and I think you know this.
You know, sometimes when you are involved from a working
standpoint in a game, you see it differently. You know this.
(05:31):
I mean you've done radio and done television analysis of games.
You just kind of watch it differently, right, like the
fandom and you kind of goes away, right. It is
becomes rare with teams that all of a sudden, I
get fifteen year old me comes out again and I'm
pacing and whatever else. I actually did that in this
game because I wanted. It was such a great story,
(05:51):
and I loved the resolve of it. And every time
it got to like five points, I thought, oh gosh,
and then I'd turn around and I come back and boom,
it's tied again. It was a microcosm of exactly your year.
How was that? What is it about this group that
was different?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Uh? You know, I think number one, I truly believe
in my heart that connected teams are winning teams, and
this is a group that was incredibly connected. And it's
it's not something that you can produce. It's something that
happens organically. And this group, no matter who came into
(06:34):
the locker room at what point in the season, they
came into the locker room that the people who had
been here navigated, embraced, empowered, and also showed them the way.
You know, we had gosh, four or five five people
on our team that didn't start the year with us,
if I'm right about that, And our mantra from the
(06:55):
very beginning of the year was we over me. You know,
We started the season understanding that we had a lot
of talent in the room, in the locker room. But
also with with a lot of talent comes challenges because
not everybody's going to get to play, even when they
should deserve to play, you know, not everything. And and and
so we we started the year talking about we over
me and every time a new player came in, they
(07:17):
hadn't been in our locker room since April. But the
players in our locker room lived that. They showed them
how to live, that they they they they held them
accountable to that, and and that that connectedness, that sacrifice
for one another, the sacrifice for for the team. Uh,
it just it enabled us to find another level and
(07:39):
and another year. And you know, it's in sport, it's
about getting tot at the right time. And and this
group did that, did that, I think you know, when
we did it was a result of that had probably
been the team that had been together the longest throughout
the course of the season. And and again, as we
know in sports, especially when you're watching it from an
analytical perspective and not a fan perspective, if it does
(08:01):
take time to build that chemistry and connectedness and connectivity
on the floor, and that group had the time to
do it. I'm not sure at any other point in
the season we had a consistent enough you know, eight nine,
ten players that were playing that we were able to
do that.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
When you look at Stephanie White, the head coach of
the Fever, is our guest coach over the course of
the year, you know, especially with when you have a
player like Caitlyn Clark who is such a transcendent star. Right,
so you're going to have people following what your team
is doing that maybe didn't even follow the WNBA three
years ago. You're going to have people that don't follow
the WNBA but follow Kitlin Clark, et cetera. From a
(08:38):
coaching standpoint at times, that can create no win situations
because you're going to be scrutinized in whichever way you
play it in any aspect when it comes to a
player like that. There was critique of Stephanie White at
the beginning of the year before really Caitlin Clark went
down with injury, just over the play and then the
way things came together and the fact that at the
(09:00):
end of the year everyone's saying this is coach at
the year level stuff. Did you feel vindicated?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, I mean, I you know, obviously we don't really
do it too for other people's opinions. You know, it's
it's I had a coach when I very first started coaching.
Tell me, if I started listening to the people that
were that were in the stands, then then I wouldn't
be coaching very long and I'd be sitting with them
before too long. So, you know, we don't do it
for that. We don't do it for them.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We do it for our players and our team, and
we do it because we love the game, and we
do it because we love the sport. You know, I
love this franchise, and nobody is ever going to be happy.
You know. I appreciate uh fever basketball fans in particular,
and basketball fans from the state of Indiana, because they
know the game, they understand the nuance of the game,
(09:51):
and and so for me, uh, it wasn't really about vindication.
It was about just putting the best team and that
we could forward. I understand that it doesn't happen, you know, automatically.
I also understand that that it that it's it's one
of those things that you have to get lucky, like
you don't just go win championships like it is hard
(10:13):
to get to the finals. It is hard to win championships.
I know that there are teams who make it look easy,
and sometimes there are dynasties that make it look easy.
But because of my experience in this sport and twenty
six years in this league, you know, I understand the difference.
And I've been a part of some really great teams
and have also been a part of of the franchise
(10:33):
obviously when it first started. So so I don't know
vindicated is the right word, as much as I just
feel incredibly proud of the foundation that we laid in
terms of our culture. I feel really proud of the
group that came together to find a way. No matter what,
I feel really proud of my staff because I do
(10:56):
feel like we have the best staff you know, in
the league, and we're creating and we try to think
outside the box and we try to put people in
positions to be successful, and so I think more than anything,
I just the word that comes to mind at the
end of the year is just pride.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
When you look at the league itself, from the time
that you played to now, Stephanie White in the growth
of the league and the growth of the growth of
the interest of the league. One of the byproducts of
that is that means that the business aspect of it
is going to be scrutinized and people are going to
pay a lot more attention to it. That's become obviously,
and we're heading into an offseason that's going to be
fascinating with the collective bargaining. And then you have the commissioner,
(11:35):
Kathy Engelbert. I know you're aware of the comments that
NEFISA call you're made, and then Kitlyn Clark kind of
getting brought into that, Caitlyn Clark responding to it. What
has been your overall assessment of that dialogue and as
it relates to your star player.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Yeah, I mean I hate I hate it all for Caitlin.
You know, I feel like, you know, she's a twenty
three year old kid who loves to play the skame game,
who is a pawn in a lot of other people's
games and a lot of other people's narratives, and I
hate that for her. You know. It's it's we're coming
into a time in the w n b A where
(12:12):
we're where we're kind of part of the growing pains
of of of becoming quote unquote mainstreams professional sport is
some of this stuff. You know, I do think that
we are at a pivotal moment in terms of the
league's history. And look, I was a part of the
very first collective bargaining agreement of the w n b
A where we wanted insurance all year long. So now
(12:35):
where it is growing and players do deserve more, and
leadership needs to reflect, uh where we are as a
league and and and and also understand where we are
as a league and where players perspectives are coming from.
And you know, we have coaches on the sidelines and
in Becky Hammond and myself and of course no Epun
(12:55):
who was in Seattle, who played in this league, who
like this league is is is part of our of
our of our lifeblood. Like we we have grown up
in this league, and we take pride in this league
and the success of this league. And we also take
pride in understanding what needs to be done and in leadership.
And part of leadership is taking accountability. Part of leadership
(13:17):
is it is owning how we move the needle. Part
of leadership is not just recognizing uh, the people who
who who are part of this this league, but empowering
and embracing and understanding what they bring. And you know,
your employees are your number one asset, and and so
I I do feel like we're we're at a pivotal moment.
(13:39):
I do feel like we're at a time where where
all things have to be considered and where multiple truths
are do exist, certainly, and I think that sometimes right
now in our in our country and in our world,
we we forget that multiple truths can exist. But you know,
I think we are at that at that point to
begin to have these very hard conversations about what it
(13:59):
looks like moving forward.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Do you believe the w NBA has the leadership right
now that it needs?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You know, it's I think it's a tough question because
I do believe that that where we are and where
we have been, especially from a business standpoint, you know,
it's it's it's it's what we've needed. I do think
that there's another layer and level to having someone who
who understands the basketball side of the league, and whether
(14:28):
that's direct leadership or whether that's you know, building out
our basketball operations, our department, you know, within the league.
I do think that that the more that we can
get former players involved, the more that we can get
people who have grown up in this league who don't
see this league as it was ten years ago, as
it was fifteen years ago. You know, you've got to
(14:49):
see the league for what it is now and where
it's going. Much in the same way that college sports
is not what it was ten years ago, not what
it was five years ago. The WNBA is not what
it was ten years ago. And I do think that
there are some folks in leadership position who still think
of it that way. So I think we do need
some addition to our basketball operations part of the league,
(15:12):
and I think we do need some forward thinking in
that as well. But more than anything, accountability can go
a long way, and we just want some accountability for
some of the concerns that have been consistent concerns for
multiple years.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Do you with Caitlyn Clark in this as we move
forward coach like navigating through just being that pawn as
you said, does she have kind of her own team
that that guides are through that or does she lean
on you a lot in that regard as well?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Looks she is so mature for her age. I mean,
Jake thinking back to when we were twenty three years old.
Holy cow, I know it was a long time ago,
five years ago, right, but he's still mature. She she
she has people, you know, in her corner and and
people that can that can help her. She gets it,
(16:07):
she understands the big picture. You know, we'll have conversations.
You know, I've I've been in a very small way
in some of the some of the situations that she's
been in, you know, certainly not with with social media
and all of that stuff. But you know, we've got
players or in staff that that have played in this league,
(16:28):
but but no one outside of Tiger Woods, right of
Serena Williams. H you can probably name just maybe a
handful more of of athletes who have been the game
changers and who have experienced what Caitlin Clark is experiencing,
so that no one can can really relate to what
she's going through. I think the biggest thing is we
can be there for her. You know, we can. We
(16:51):
can offer perspective and and and do what we can
to help, you know, deflect and navigate and but at
the same time, you know, it's a life that she
has to lead, and you know, I think she does
it admirably. I'm not sure that myself at twenty three
years old or myself at forty eight years old could
(17:12):
do it in the same way that she does with
so much grace and humility.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Lastly, Coach, I wanted to share this and it sounds personal,
but it's public, and I'll tell you why. And I
know that I pointed this out to you. I've mentioned
this on the radio before as well. But over the
course of this season, my dad has gone through a
challenging medical period and while he is hopefully and thankfully
(17:37):
looks like he's going to be okay, it's not to
say that it has not been a long road with
a lot of challenges. And the one thing, literally the
one thing on the daily basis that was like my assignment,
was to make sure on his board where he is
getting his treatments, that he knows when the next fever
game's on. He has his fever hat that he would
put on for every game. He's been a lifelong sports fan.
(18:00):
I don't know that I've seen him magnetized towards a
group and towards a team in giving him on a
day to day basis a purpose like what you guys did.
And I say that not for the you know, awkward
nature of a personal story on the radio, but because
I think it's a public one, because I think so
(18:21):
many people in this town found that and saw that.
And I hope, while I know it's been a disappointment
in the way the year ended for you guys, and
you have a lot going on, that at some point
you're able to sit back and accept the gratitude of
a city and of a state for representing it the
right way and giving a lot of people a purpose.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, I appreciate that, Jake, thank you so much. And
you know this, like I said, this, this group is
you mentioned it doing it the right way, you know,
leading by example, and we often talk about, you know,
sport is the greatest, is the greatest indicator of life
and of life lessons. And I think that this group
(19:04):
has has shown, community, has shown, you know, the league
has shown the nation you know a lot of really
good life lessons and been leaders in a lot of
different ways, and so I'm really proud of them.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Well, coach enjoyed the off season. I know there's still
a lot of work to do. You are welcome back anytime,
but I am most most most most grateful for your
time over the course of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I appreciate Jake, thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Stephanie White, the head coach of the Indiana Fever
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com