Sh8ck and Concern Sweep WNBA as Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White Steps Away for Personal Reasons—No Timeline for Return, Assistant Austin Kelly Takes Over Amid Grueling Five-Game Stretch; Fans and Players Rally with Prayers and Support, Uncertainty Looms Over Team’s Momentum and Playoff Hopes
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has prompted some concern ahead of her team’s upcoming matchup.
Stephanie White (Photo via Imagn Images)
White, who missed a game last week due to personal reasons, will also miss Thursday night’s contest vs. the Golden State Valkyries due to a personal matter. Assistant coach Austin Kelly will step in for her.
“Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White will miss Thursday’s game at the Golden State Valkyries for personal reasons, the team just announced. Austin Kelly will serve as acting head coach,” ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported on Thursday afternoon.
No timeline for a return was given.
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White will miss Thursday's game at the Golden State Valkyries for personal reasons, the team just announced. Austin Kelly will serve as acting head coach.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) June 19, 2025
Kelly, who has been working with White since her days with the Connecticut Sun, insisted it would be more of the same despite the head coach’s absence, describing the two of them as extensions of each other.
“It’s going to be the same. I think we are an extension of each other,” he said after team shootaround on Thursday.
“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.”
Stephanie White’s Absence Comes At A Crucial Period For The Fever
Stephanie White (Photo via Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
White has gotten off to a good start with the Fever this season, leading them to a 6-5 record despite losing Caitlin Clark for five games.
The team is in the middle of a busy period, which will require them to play five games in eight days, including home and away back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Sparks and an away fixture against the Dallas Wings.
Kelly said the most important thing for the team will be managing minutes.
“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,” he explained.
The game will tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET. But we imagine most of the focus will be on the Indiana Pacers, who are hoping to send the NBA Finals to a Game 7 after going down 3-2.
