The WNBA teaching panorama continues to dramatically and quickly shift. On Monday afternoon, the Connecticut Solar introduced they have been parting methods with head coach Stephanie White, who has been with the group for 2 seasons.
It was beforehand reported by Annie Costabile of the Solar-Occasions that White was more likely to return to the Indiana Fever, who fired head coach Christie Sides on Sunday. White’s Solar beat Sides’ Fever in 2-0 within the first spherical of the WNBA playoffs final month.
White has a protracted historical past with Indiana basketball and the Fever group; she went to highschool in West Lebanon earlier than rising as a basketball star at Purdue, and has deep roots with the Fever group, each as a participant (2000 to 2004) and assistant coach (2011 to 2014).
She coached the group to a 55-25 common season throughout two seasons and to 2 consecutive semi-finals appearances. However, the Solar didn’t advance to the Finals each seasons, and now, the vast majority of their core is headed to free company. Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones are all unrestricted, whereas DiJonai Carrington is restricted.
“We wish to thank Stephanie for her time in Connecticut and her dedication to our group over the previous two seasons,” mentioned Solar president Jen Rizzotti within the official press launch. “We want her one of the best in her future endeavors.”
Carrington turned to social media shortly after the choice to half methods with White was made public.
In a flash, the Solar grow to be the seventh group and not using a head coach, lower than two months away from the Golden State Valkyries Growth Draft. The Los Angeles Sparks fired Curt Miller on September twenty fourth, and the Chicago Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon just some days later. In October, the Atlanta Dream fired Tanisha Wright, the Dallas Wings fired Latricia Trammell, the Mystics fired Eric Thibault, and the Fever fired Christie Sides. As well as, the Aces, Wings, and Mystics all now have common supervisor vacancies.
It’s definitely doable that extra firing bulletins are within the works, however because it at present stands, the one returning WNBA coaches shall be Sandy Brondello (Liberty), Cheryl Reeve (Lynx), Becky Hammon (Aces), Noelle Quinn (Storm), and Nate Tibbetts (Mercury).
It’s not but clear who would possibly change White in Indiana, although Briann January seems to instantly emerge as a viable a candidate. January, an assistant on the Solar and former WNBA participant, has lengthy been thought of to be one of many WNBA’s prime assistants coaches and is likely one of the franchises’s defensive leaders.
She was not too long ago introduced as an assistant coach for the Motor Metropolis Cruise, the NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, although these positions’ timelines don’t essentially battle provided that the G League season ends previous to the start of the WNBA season.
