Indiana Fever Assistant Issues Statement on Stephanie White's Sudden Absence
Indiana Fever Assistant Issues Statement on Stephanie White's Sudden Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever were dealt a significant blow ahead of their game against the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday. This came in the form of head coach Stephanie White having to leave the team to deal with a personal matter, which means that she won't be able to coach the Fever in Thursday's contest.
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Stepping in for White is assistant coach Austin Kelly, who addressed the issue during his pregame press conference. Kelly, however, did not provide any details on White's situation, instead opting to focus on how the Fever are reacting to the sudden turn of events.
"Steph's got some personal stuff going on," Kelly said. "... It's kinda business as usual. (I'm) just stepping in. Same message. Our team understands that."
Kelly made it clear, however, that despite White's absence, the team has kept its eye on the goal.
"This group's focused," he said. "We're refocused. It's our first West Coast trip of the year. We're focused on Golden State right now, and come to play, we're ready."
The Fever did not reveal the nature of White's personal leave. However, this is not the first time that White has missed a game due to personal reasons. The first-year Fever shot-caller was also unable to coach her team on June 7 in their game against the Chicago Sky.
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It is worth noting that White's partner, ESPN sportscaster Lisa Salters, has also already missed three games of the NBA Finals due to a "personal matter."
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White watches the action during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics.Grace Smth- INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images
It remains unclear at this point if White will be able to rejoin the team ahead of their game against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.
Related: Indiana Fever React to Caitlin Clark's Outfit for Valkyries Game
Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Reveals Concerning Update on Tuesday
Related: WNBA Issues Statement on Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin Before Fever-Valkyries Game
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
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