Lisa Bluder Relays Root of Respect Between Fever's Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White
If anyone knows what it takes to garner the respect of Caitlin Clark as a coach it is Lisa Bluder.
Bluder, who is now retired, coached Clark at Iowa and oversaw the Hawkeyes back-to-back runs to the national championship game. So her words have significance when it comes to the Indiana Fever star.
Bluder seems convinced that her former player is in good hands with new Fever coach Stephanie White, and that the pair will be able to rely on a bond built on mutual respect.
According to Bluder, that's due to the fact that White has watched Clark up close and personal for many years and via the game plans she concocted going up against Caitlin in the WNBA while still with the Connecticut Sun.
Bluder participated in a Q&A with Jack Maloney of CBS Sports and elaborated on the foundation of the relationship that will help propel the Fever into the future.
i talked to lisa bluder about her retirement, iowa basketball, the rise of women's hoops and caitlin clarkhttps://t.co/16lZ7bG9cM
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) December 18, 2024
"Well, I think Stephanie, as a pro coach, probably saw her more than anybody because she was also doing television and she had a lot of our games. So she knew Caitlin better than all the other coaches, and I think she respected Caitlin more than the other coaches who hadn't been around her as much," Bluder said.
She went on to add this tidbit from Clark's perspective, "Caitlin always told me that she thought Coach White defended her better than anybody else in the pros. I know that Caitlin has great respect for Stephanie White and I just think that, knowing both of their personalities, that they're going to mesh really well."
my goat found her coach in the pros 🥹 pic.twitter.com/mHYsWctsoG
— cc akgae (@clrkszn) December 19, 2024
It was revealed in the TIME feature on Clark that White had a multi-page scouting report on the WNBA Rookie of the Year, something Bluder believes her former player certainly appreciates given her work ethic.
Clark and White have notably been in the lab working on the former's game lately, so it seems each is eager to turn that respect into results on the floor.
It appears clear this new coach and player duo will have one another's back, just like Bluder did once again when defending Clark from recent criticism.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!