Stephanie White Details Next Step in Caitlin Clark's Development
Given that Stephanie White has been watching Caitlin Clark play since she was in eighth grade (initially when she was coaching at Vanderbilt and then as an ESPN commentator while Clark was in college), the Indiana Fever's newest head coach knows better than most about the type of generational talent Clark is.
The opportunity to coach such talent is surely one reason why White was so eager to leave the Connecticut Sun in favor of the Fever.
However, Clark is still just 22 years old and will continue to develop and hone her game, both on and off the court. And White alluded to one of these ways she can do so during a December 1 appearance on the "Coaching U" podcast.
"First and foremost, just talking basketball," White said when asked what her approach is to coaching a great player like Clark. "Just having general basketball conversations about what she's watching, what she likes, what are some of her thoughts on not just what the Indiana Fever have done, but in the game of basketball in general."
White continued, saying, "I've really watched her continue to learn and grow... and I've had multiple conversations with [Clark's coaches at Iowa] throughout the course of her career about what the next steps would be, and what the next level would be.
"I talked to [Clark] about how I think we can use her to help her be more efficient, help her be more effective," White added. "Help our team be better in general... Now it's about becoming not just a great player, but becoming a great leader for this team. So that we can win not just a championship, but championships."
steph white talking about coaching greatness, having good relationships with caitlin’s college coaches, and talking Xs and Os with caitlin on the stuff she wants to do to get better: pic.twitter.com/x8z8KPEHAB
— cc akgae (@clrkszn) December 3, 2024
It will be fascinating to see what strides Clark makes as a leader during her first season with White as her head coach.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.