Latest news with #AustinKelly
Yahoo
8 hours ago
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Caitlin Clark Names Indiana Fever's Best Defender Without Hesitation
Caitlin Clark Names Indiana Fever's Best Defender Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There is no doubt that Caitlin Clark has been the driving force for the Indiana Fever throughout this season. A testament to this fact is how the Fever struggled without their best player on the court during her recent three-week injury layoff, losing three out of five games. Advertisement At the same time, however, there's also no denying that Clark has a formidable supporting cast around her. The Fever know that the 23-year-old can't do it all by herself, which is why they've surrounded her with a squad that is ready to go to battle with her. If you ask Clark, there is no doubt in her mind that Lexie Hull is one of the most important players on the team. In fact, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year named Hull as the Fever's best defender without any hesitation. "I think the game is completely different when Lexie is on the floor," Clark said. "Her energy, her tenacity, the way she affects the game, whether she's scoring or whether she's not. "She's our best defensive player. I think she's one of the best defensive players in the league." Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) during a game.© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Fever assistant coach Austin Kelly seconded Clark's praise for Hull. Kelly expressed how Hull "means a lot for us on both ends of the floor," while also heaping praise on the 25-year-old's elite work ethic. Advertisement Kelly also expressed his admiration for Hull's shooting efficiency, which is also something that has caught Clark's attention. "She shoots the ball really well," Clark said of Hull. "Over the course of the last two seasons, she's made a lot of threes for us. She's shooting at close to 60%, which is really unheard of in all of basketball. You don't see that." The Fever will need Hull to be at her best on Thursday as they play the Golden State Valkyries in a road game at Chase Center. The Valkyries have a number of formidable weapons on the offensive end as well, and Indiana will need Hull's defensive prowess in this one. Advertisement It goes without saying that Clark will need to keep her foot on the gas, too, as she looks to lead Indiana to their third straight victory on Thursday night. Related: Indiana Fever React to Caitlin Clark's Outfit for Valkyries Game Related: WNBA Issues Statement on Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin Before Fever-Valkyries Game Related: Caitlin Clark Makes Admission on Conflict During Fever-Valkyries Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
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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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 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.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
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Caitlin Clark's WNBA Coach Is Stepping Away From Team
Caitlin Clark's WNBA Coach Is Stepping Away From Team originally appeared on The Spun. As if this week couldn't get any crazier for the WNBA right now, the head coach of Caitlin Clark's team is suddenly stepping away. Advertisement On Thursday, the Indiana Fever announced that head coach Stephanie White will be stepping away ahead of tonight's game against the Golden State Valkyries to attend to "a personal matter." White is in her second stint with the Fever, having previously coached the team from 2011 to 2016, first as an assistant and then as a head coach. In her absence, Austin Kelly will serve as acting head coach and was in charge of Thursday's shootaround. Kelly has been one of White's top assistants since they worked together on the Connecticut Sun. "It's going to be the same. I think we are an extension of each other," Kelly told reporters, via ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "The message is still the same that we talk about in the locker room: playing for each other, getting it done on the defensive end and then having that help fuel us on the offensive end. But the vibes are good." The timing of White's absence isn't great as the Fever are beginning a glut of games and a lengthy West Coast trip. They're currently playing five games in just eight days with a three-game trip out west starting today and ending next Tuesday. Advertisement "We're just trying to manage everything within the game and then we're going to put a lot on them to get treatment in between games," Kelly explained. "We're here, Vegas, Seattle, then back home. It's about us taking care of business on the floor, first and foremost, and looking for opportunities throughout the game to manage those minutes." ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 22: Head coach Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever looks on against the Atlanta Dream during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on May 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Given how suddenly Stephanie White is stepping away we can only hope that whatever it is isn't something serious. As for the team, White has led them to a 6-5 start on the season. Last year they didn't get above .500 until the 33rd game of the year. They never rose more than two games above .500 at any point last year and they'd like to change that to be sure. Advertisement How will Caitlin Clark respond to her new interim head coach? Related: Caitlin Clark Appears To Approve Of Indiana Fever's New Head Coach Caitlin Clark's WNBA Coach Is Stepping Away From Team first appeared on The Spun on Jun 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
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Fever head coach to miss 2nd game of season
The post Fever head coach to miss 2nd game of season appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Fever are currently gearing up for a road game against the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday evening from San Francisco. Indiana is coming off of a resounding home win over the Connecticut Sun in which Caitlin Clark scored 20 points in her second game since returning from an injury. Advertisement Ahead of Thursday's contest, the Fever got some tough news regarding their head coach Stephanie White. 'NEW: Steph White will not be with the team at Golden State tonight for personal reasons,' reported Chloe Peterson of IndyStarSports on x, formerly Twitter. Peterson also added that 'Austin Kelly will be the acting head coach, similar to how he was at Chicago.' Despite the win on Tuesday against Connecticut, the big story of the game was the scuffle that took place with just seconds left, when Sophie Cunningham of the Fever committed a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon of the Sun in retaliation to Sheldon's foul on Clark earlier in the game. Advertisement The skirmish resulted in multiple technical fouls as well as the ejection of Cunningham, although the league ruled that she will not be suspended for Thursday's game on the road. A big stretch for the Fever Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Caitlin Clark has looked every bit like herself since returning from an injury that kept her out for multiple weeks earlier in the season. Her Fever teammates did an admirable job of holding down the fort in her absence, and now, the team is over the .500 mark as they embark on this West Coast trip. Clark recently produced one of the highlights of her young WNBA career with a virtuoso performance to hand the New York Liberty their first lost of the season, at one point nailing three pointers on three straight possessions to send the crowd into a frenzy. Advertisement The Golden State Valkyries have had a decent start to their inaugural season in the WNBA, currently sitting at 5-6 11 games into the campaign. In any case, the Fever and Valkyries are slated to tip things off on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET. Related: People 'underestimated' Fever's Caitlin Clark becoming a WNBA 'bada**', analyst says Related: Fever-Sun postgame brawl draws fines from WNBA
Yahoo
a day ago
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Fever coach Stephanie White will miss game vs. Valkyries; Austin Kelly steps in
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will miss Thursday's game against the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco, California, for personal reasons. Assistant coach Austin Kelly will serve as the acting head coach for Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Kelly was a practice player for the Fever when the franchise won the 2012 championship and began coaching in the WNBA as a member of White's Connecticut Sun staff in 2023. Advertisement While the team confirmed that White will be away from Thursday's game, it was not specified why or how long the absence would be. It will be the second game that the coach has missed this month. White was not on the sideline for the Fever's 79-52 victory against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on June 7. White's partner, Lisa Salters, had stepped away from her role as a broadcaster covering the NBA Finals for ESPN and ABC that same week. It was mentioned during the broadcast for Game 2 of the series that Salters' mother is dealing with a health issue. Salters was working Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Advertisement White returned to the Fever this season after spending the past two years as head coach of the Sun. She has led Clark and the Fever to a 6-5 start this season. White spent most of her five-year playing career in the WNBA with the Fever, including the team's inaugural season in 2000. She previously was an assistant coach with the team from 2011 to 2014 before taking over as head coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever's Stephanie White to miss Thursday's game, Austin Kelly steps in
