Caitlin Clark has a new coach. Here’s what to expect from Indiana Fever’s Stephanie White

Stephanie White couldn’t hide her excitement during her introductory press conference for the Indiana Fever. In addition to her extensive ties to the organization and the region, White steps into an extremely exciting role as head coach of a talented young team led by the year’s final two rookies, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark.

It was Clark’s historic rookie season that took the Fever to the next phase of team building and prompted the franchise to look for a coach with White’s pedigree – someone who could turn Indiana into a championship contender. White has already praised the Fever guard effusively, suggesting that Clark could be the greatest point guard of all time and that her number 22 (which was also White’s number as an Indiana player from 2000-2004) will never do that. 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 continuing to develop Clark.

This is how she tries to do it:

• White’s desire to reduce Clark’s ball dominance has emerged as a theme. Although Clark was productive as a passer and scorer, carrying both duties was a heavy burden. A goal for 2025 will be to reduce that burden. That means playing Clark for fewer minutes, but also experimenting with her role.

“Helping her anticipate what’s coming her way, trying to move her around a little more on the ground so she’s not as easily predictable in what action is happening,” White said.

• Looking back on White’s previous two seasons in Connecticut, much of the facilitation came from Alyssa Thomas in the frontcourt, allowing the Sun to get their shooters to jump 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 copy one of Connecticut’s favorite sets.

The Sun often started possessions with Thomas at the top of the key, and a guard or wing staggering away from the corner and then setting a screen for Thomas in the middle of the field. The spread screens put the defense in trouble just to start the play, and if Clark were the defensive player coming in, it would put extra pressure on the defenders to navigate the screens to stay connected. Even if the defense were to succeed, the result would be that the ball handler would be able to push his way through the paint. Smith seems ideally suited for that role.

That play is one of many examples of Connecticut stacking plays on top of plays. Take a look at this possession from Opening Night 2024, when three separate screens led to a pick-and-roll for Ty Harris and Thomas. Presumably the defense wouldn’t go down with Clark acting as the ballhandler, but with all the space cleared on that side of the floor, the screen setter could at least roll to the basket with ease.

• White has expressed how impressed she is with Boston’s half-court passing. Several of the Sun’s tiered sets were designed to result in a big catch at the elbow, where Boston (following Brionna Jones) could then direct the action from the post. Indiana has great cutters, especially Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, who Boston can find from that elbow lineup. Again, the idea is for Clark to play a role in the play by pulling her defender past the three-point line, but this is not necessary to create the scoring opportunity.

Of course, the combination of drag screens, pin-downs, and flares could all be lures to eventually get Clark the ball anyway, albeit with the ability to attack a shifted defense instead of a set defense.

“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 so we can move her around some more.”

White noted that Clark needs to add strength, which would help with all the goals she has set for the Star Guard. Strength should help Clark’s consistency on her jumper and her durability down the stretch of matches — 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 are already the deadliest screeners because defenders don’t want to leave them.

• Clark’s main area of ​​improvement, which White has coached with great success at Connecticut the past two years, will be on defense. Clark was a non-factor in that regard, and a player the Sun even tried to pursue. In their first-round playoff series, Connecticut regularly ran the offense through the perimeter player defending Clark, finding a series of wide-open three-pointers on the wing when Clark was unable to close.

During the 2024 season, five of the top 20 defensive win shares came from the Sun, while Marina Mabrey, who arrived midseason, just missed the cut. A white-coached team will demand more defensive responsibility, even from Clark. Success requires you to be “a slightly more solid team on the defensive side of the field.”

White has proven to be one of the more adaptable coaches in the WNBA during her recent tenure. After losing Jones for the 2023 season, she pivoted to a small-ball lineup, essentially using Thomas as a point center. The following year, Connecticut went back to the double-sized look, but still had the flexibility to downsize if necessary.

In Indiana, White’s creativity won’t be needed 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.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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