Connecticut Sun Part Ways With Stephanie White, Marks 7th Head Coach Vacancy in WNBA
October 28, 2024
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The Connecticut Sun parted ways with head coach Stephanie White, the team announced Monday. It marks the seventh head coaching vacancy in the WNBA.
“We want to thank Stephanie for her time in Connecticut and her commitment to our organization over the past two seasons,” Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti said. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
White said the decision to leave Connecticut was a personal and professional decision.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter of Game Five of the Semi-Finals during the WNBA Playoffs at Target… MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter of Game Five of the Semi-Finals during the WNBA Playoffs at Target Center on October 08, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Connecticut Sun departed ways with Stephanie White on Monday.
David Berding/Getty Images
“It’s not an easy decision to leave Connecticut, but I think the best one for my family and my career,” White told ESPN. “It’s meant a lot to me — I’m so grateful to Jen and the organization. It’s a top-notch organization. For me to be able to return to coaching — which I didn’t know if it would be possible — with such a great team and coaching staff, it’s meant a lot to me.
“So this has not been easy. But certainly, at the end of the day, it’s tough for me being away from my family. So from a professional standpoint and a personal standpoint, I feel like it’s the best decision.”
White is the frontrunner to become the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. The Fever announced the departure of head coach Christie Sides on Sunday.
Read More: Indiana Fever Part Ways With Head Coach Christie Sides
The Sun will look to replace White in the coming weeks as the team prepares for the 2025 season.
“I think No. 1 is just some stability over an uncertain time in the WNBA,” Rizzotti told ESPN. “I think that there’s a likelihood of a lot of turnover in rosters throughout the league, and I want to look for a leader that’s ready to lead us into the future, to be able to maintain a level of competitiveness, and if we have to retool our roster a little bit, to be able to grow with that team and grow as an organization.”
“The hard thing is there’s been a perception that there’s not a lot of job security in the WNBA. I don’t think that’s the case in Connecticut,” Rizzotti added. “I’d like to think that this is a place where you can have some time to build the roster and the program the right way.”
The narrative of uncertain job security was further pushed after the sudden departure of former Indiana Fever head coach, Sides, who was fired with two years remaining on her contract.
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