The league-wide play for coach Stephanie White is underway.
Many are wondering how that can be when White is under contract with the Sun through the 2025 season. The explanation is simple: White is the best coach in the league, and candidates of her caliber will always have options.
The Sky are one of those options. White has been in discussions with multiple teams since the end of the season. According to league sources, in addition to the Sky, the Sun and Fever are the three teams White is considering now.
Landing White should come with a steep price.
The Aces and Mercury have set the standard regarding coaching salaries. Aces coach Becky Hammon reportedly makes $1 million, while Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts is the highest-paid coach, making $1.2 million. If the Sky are serious about signing White, they need to be prepared to offer her a seven-figure salary.
For the Fever to sign White, it could require some kind of buyout, considering coach Christie Sides is currently under contract.
White is from Danville, Illinois, but grew up in Indiana. Her long history of excellence in the Hoosier state includes her being named 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball and leading Purdue to a national championship in 1999.
She was part of the Fever’s inaugural season in 2000. After four seasons, she began her coaching career as an assistant at the collegiate level. White returned to the WNBA in 2007 as an assistant for the Sky. In 2011, she rejoined the Fever as an assistant before being named head coach in 2015. After two seasons with the Fever, White returned to the college ranks, coaching Vanderbilt from 2016-2021.
Across the WNBA, teams are clearing house.
The Sparks were the first domino to fall, announcing the firing of Curt Miller after two seasons. Next came the Sky, who fired Teresa Weatherspoon after just 11 months. In the month since Weatherspoon’s dismissal, three more teams have fired their coaches: the Dream, Wings and Mystics.
Washington announced their decision to “mutually part ways” with general manager Mike Thibault and coach Eric Thibault Wednesday morning.
The not-so-subtle league-wide attempt for White is a reflection of her distinction. White amassed a 55-25 overall record in two seasons with the Sun and led the team to back-to-back semifinal appearances.
White’s history with the Fever could be a difference maker in her ultimate decision. She could also opt to finish out her contract with the Sun, especially considering most rosters will see an overhaul in 2026 due to the impending collective bargaining agreement negotiations. At the moment, however, the Sky still have a shot to correct the franchise’s spiral that has been their reality since former coach/general manager James Wade left midseason last year.
Securing White’s return to Chicago — where her WNBA coaching career began — would do just that.