When you spend about 4 decades associated with basketball, consider it inseparable from life. But not for Stephanie White. Despite being one of the top defensive minds, having led the best defensive team in the W last year, she recently left her current team in the hands of assistant coaches during a critical stretch. The head coach remained absent from the game against the Chicago Sky for personal reasons, and things revealed themselves to be gloomy back at home.
While Steph has returned, her partner Lisa Salters has not. The veteran ESPN reporter, who has been on the sidelines for NBA coverage since 2022, missed Game 2 of the NBA Finals due to a “personal matter.” And, as of now, there’s no update on whether she’ll return for Wednesday’s Game 3 in Indiana.
It’s because Lisa’s mother has been battling some “very serious health issues for a while now,” according to the interviews by the ESPN crew. Although the specifics of the health concerns remain unclear, the fact that both White and Salters stepped away from their high-profile jobs shows just how serious the situation is. But why is White back? Well, because there’s finally some good news.
Apr 30, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White poses for a photo Wednesday, April 30, 2025, during the Indiana Fever media day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Speaking at a recent practice and media conference, White offered a brief update. “I’m doing alright, and it’s helpful that we have such a great group that poured into me and helped to give me some strength,” she shared when asked about her personal challenges. And she’s right.
When White left the team in the hands of Assistant Coach Austin Kelly, it was a pivotal moment. The Fever were already struggling with the absence of their offensive engine, Caitlin Clark, due to injury. As the team worked to find its rhythm without her, White’s strategic plan took another hit when both Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson went down with injuries in the same game. On top of that, the team stood at a shaky 3–4 record.
In other words, a win could’ve elevated them into the middle of the pack, while a loss would have dragged them closer to the bottom of the standings. Fortunately, White’s faith in her assistant coaching staff paid off, and the Fever secured another win to land squarely in the middle.
But it wasn’t just the coaches who stepped up. “I really want to win for Steph—she’s going through a tough time with her family right now,” said Fever player DeWanna Bonner before Saturday night’s win over the Chicago Sky. And honestly, no one could have predicted that the victory would be historic: it marked the first time since 2015 that the Fever held an opponent to as few points, securing a 79–52 blowout win. But while this proves White has trust in the Fever, it doesn’t guarantee that tough times won’t come around again!!
But Stephanie White knows how to sail through adversities!
The last time Stephanie White faced a “tough” family situation was after Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals, when the Connecticut Sun had already been eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx. So, stepping away for a bit back then wasn’t particularly difficult. “My priority is my family right now, honestly—just being here for my family, getting through this,” White said, fighting back tears during the press conference.
White had postponed the end-of-the-season interview then, making clear that her family was a priority. But even then, as the questions lined up, she maintained her poise, occasionally wavering when her situation was to be mentioned. “That’s my priority,” she had declared.
Nearly six months since and that view hasn’t deterred. The head coach reveals that every job decision of hers involves a discussion with her family. “For me to be closer to home, it was really important. There’s always a time in your life where you feel like everything needs to be grounded, everything needs to be centered, so that you can be where your feet are,” White says and she isn’t letting go of it.
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