Stephanie White: From WNBA Playoffs to FIBA World Cup Qualifiers - A Season of Success and New Challenges
Stephanie White had a successful debut season as the head coach of the Indiana Fever in the 2025 WNBA season. The team finished with a 24-20 record, securing the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and reaching the semifinals for the first time in a decade. Despite facing challenges with key players sidelined due to injuries, the Fever's season came to an end in a close Game 5 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
During the offseason, White took on a new role as an assistant coach for Team USA during the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament. She played a crucial role in helping the United States achieve a perfect 5-0 record in Puerto Rico, topping Group A with 10 points. While the tournament results were significant, Team USA had already secured a spot in the 2026 FIBA World Cup scheduled for September.
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, White has been a college basketball analyst with ESPN since 2007. She recently expanded her broadcasting experience by commentating on her first NBA game as a color commentator, covering a matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic in January. White has primarily focused on calling men's and women's college basketball games, including NCAA Tournament matchups.
As White prepares for her second season with the Indiana Fever, she returned to the NCAA Women's Tournament as a game analyst alongside Mike Monaco and Molly McGrath. She was stationed in Columbia, South Carolina, at Colonial Life Arena, providing commentary for first- and second-round games over the weekend. White called two first-round matchups, including No. 1 seed South Carolina vs. No. 16 seed Southern and No. 9 seed USC vs. No. 8 seed Clemson, before covering the second-round game between the winners on Monday.
Fever fans were excited to learn that Stephanie White, along with Tamika Catchings and Debbie Antonelli, were serving as ESPN game analysts for the Women's Basketball Tournament. White was stationed in Columbia, South Carolina, while Catchings was in Norman, Oklahoma, and Antonelli was in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The trio brought their expertise and insights to the tournament games, adding to the excitement for fans following the action.