Stephanie White couldn’t hide her enthusiasm at her introductory press conference for the Indiana Fever. Beyond her extensive ties to the organization and the region, White is stepping into a particularly exciting role as the head coach of a talented young team, led by the last two rookies of the year, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark.
It was Clark’s historic rookie season that vaulted the Fever into the next phase of team building and prompted the franchise to seek out a coach of White’s pedigree — one who could make Indiana a championship contender. White has already been effusive in her praise of the Fever guard, suggesting that Clark could be the greatest point guard of all time and that her No. 22 (which was also White’s number as an Indiana player from 2000-2004) won’t ever be worn by another Fever player. Clark was already one of the best players in the league before White arrived in Indianapolis, but a primary role will be further developing Clark.
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Here’s how she’ll try to do it:
• White’s desire to reduce Clark’s ball dominance has emerged as a theme. Although Clark was prolific as a passer and scorer, carrying both duties was a heavy weight. A 2025 goal will be to reduce that burden. That means playing Clark for fewer minutes but also experimenting with her role.
“Helping her anticipate what’s going to be coming her way, trying to move her around a little bit more on the floor so she’s not quite as easily predictable in what action’s happening,” White said.
• Looking back at White’s previous two seasons in Connecticut, much of the facilitating came from Alyssa Thomas in the frontcourt, which allowed the Sun to spring their shooters off the ball in a variety of ways. No other forward in the league can match Thomas’ playmaking, but Boston and NaLyssa Smith have enough passing ability to replicate one of Connecticut’s favorite sets.
The Sun often started possessions with Thomas at the top of the key, and a guard or wing running off of a stagger from the corner to then setting a screen for Thomas in the middle of the court. The staggered screens already put the defense in a bind to start the play, and if Clark were the backcourt player coming, that would put additional pressure on defenders to navigate the screens to stay attached. Even if the defense managed that, the result would be the ballhandler able to rumble her way through the paint. Smith seems ideally suited for that role.
That play is one of many examples of Connecticut stacking actions on top of actions. Look at this possession from opening night of 2024 when three separate screens led to a pick-and-roll for Ty Harris and Thomas. Presumably, the defense wouldn’t go under if Clark acts as the ballhandler, but with all the space cleared on that side of the floor, the screen-setter would at least have an easy roll to the basket.
More @ConnecticutSun stacking actions
Drag by ONO.
AT swings and then they set a stagger for Dijonai.
AT sets a wide pin for Ty Harris.
Empty corner PnR with Thomas & Ty.
The Indiana defense goes under and that’s too much airspace to give Ty Harris = Ty 3. pic.twitter.com/g8tq4llrHX— Evin Gualberto (@evin_gual) May 15, 2024
• White has expressed how impressed she is by Boston’s passing in the half court. Several of the Sun’s layered sets were intended to result in a big catching the ball at the elbow, where Boston (mimicking Brionna Jones) could then direct the action from the post. Indiana has great cutters, specifically Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, for Boston to find from that setup in the elbow. Again, the idea is Clark factoring into the play by drawing her defender beyond the 3-point line but not required to create the scoring chance.
Of course, the combination of drag screens, pin-downs, and flares could all be decoys to eventually get Clark the ball anyway, albeit with the opportunity to attack a shifted defense rather than a set one.
“We can get to the same action on the second or third side,” White said. “We can get to it after a first or second action, being able to move her around a little bit more.”
White noted that Clark needs to add strength, which would aid in all of the goals she has laid out for the star guard. Strength should help Clark’s consistency on her jumper and her durability down the stretch of games — she shot 31.3 percent on 3s in clutch situations compared to 34.4 percent overall. It could also make her a better screener if she can generate more contact, and shooters already make the deadliest screeners because defenders don’t want to leave them.
• Clark’s main area of improvement, one that White has coached to great effect in Connecticut the last two years, will be focused on defense. Clark has been a non-factor on that end, and a player that the Sun even tried to hunt. In their first-round playoff series, Connecticut regularly ran the offense through the perimeter player Clark was defending and found a series of wide-open 3-pointers on the wing when Clark was unable to close out.
During the 2024 season, five of the top 20 players in defensive win shares came from the Sun, with Marina Mabrey, who arrived midseason, just missing the cut. A White-coached team will demand more defensive accountability, even from Clark. Success will require being “a little more tough-minded team on the defensive end of the floor.”
White has proven to be among the more adaptable coaches in the WNBA during her recent tenure. After Jones was lost for the 2023 season, she pivoted to a small-ball lineup, using Thomas essentially as a point center. The next year, Connecticut went back to the double-big look but still had the flexibility to downsize when necessary.
In Indiana, White’s creativity won’t be necessary to keep the Fever afloat. Her No. 1 priority will be to maximize a deeper roster with more talent and get the most out of Clark.
(Photos of Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images, Chris Coduto / Getty Images)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5905260/2024/11/07/caitlin-clark-stephanie-white-indiana-fever-expectations/
