Stephanie White leads Fever into key Game 3 against Aces
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White handles playoff pressure and public scrutiny of her personal life as her team faces the Las Vegas Aces in a decisive
The Indiana Fever face the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of a best-of-three first-round series tied at 1-1, with the winner advancing. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night.
White’s leadership amid pressure and personal life
Head coach Stephanie White, 49, has faced hate and vitriol from fans around the league. She has spoken about managing that pressure while handling the high-stakes playoff series. White has been seeking therapy, which she says has been helpful. She also relies on her family for support.
Stephanie White said: "It's tough. Certainly, my therapist helps. My family helps. I have the luxury of being able to sort of minimize what gets in." She and ESPN veteran sideline reporter Lisa Salters have been together for roughly a decade. The couple shares four children together.
Her relationship with Lisa Salters and family background
White and Salters, 60, have built a life together over about ten years. Salters is known for her decades of coverage for ESPN, reporting on the NFL, NBA, and more. She has an adopted son. The couple lives in Indiana during the WNBA season. They previously had a home in Nashville.
White's family background includes her previous marriage to her high school sweetheart, Brent McCarty. White and McCarty had three sons together. White also played most of her WNBA career in Indiana, forging a deep connection with the state.
Team dynamics and recent playoff performance
White's coaching decisions have drawn intense attention during the series. In Game 1, a loss for the Fever, she took rookie Caitlin Clark off the court in the third quarter while the team was trailing. The Aces' A'ja Wilson dominated that game with 38 points and 16 rebounds. Las Vegas also held Clark and Kelsey Mitchell to a combined 27 points.
The Fever's shooting percentages in the opening game were 45% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. Clark responded strongly in Game 2, scoring 27 points and recording 13 assists. White addressed the perceived tension before that game, stating the team understands external noise does not affect their focus.
White said during the pre-Game 2 press conference: "Look, I think we both understand that social media noise doesn't really have anything to do with what we do." She added that sometimes a team needs to get knocked in the mouth to figure things out, and all those things can be true without there being a controversy. Fever guard Raven Johnson has said she is impressed by White's relationship with Salters. Teammate Aliyah Boston was present during a postgame exchange between Clark and White after Game 1.
White summarized the challenge simply after a game. She noted they are playing against the defending champions on their home court. The team remains focused on the task ahead. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night, where the winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the next round.
