Stephanie White is out as head coach of the Connecticut Sun, the workforce introduced Monday.
In her two seasons in Connecticut, White went 55-25 (together with 28-12 this season) and led the Sun to 2 semifinal appearances. She gained WNBA Coach of the Yr in 2023.
“We parted on good phrases as a result of a few of [White’s] decision-making course of was not nearly basketball,” Connecticut Sun president Jen Rizzotti advised ESPN, including she assumes White will communicate on her resolution at a later time.
The WNBA now has seven head-coaching vacancies. Previous to the Sun’s announcement, the Indiana Fever have been the most recent to maneuver on from their head coach, Christie Sides.
The Chicago Sun-Instances reported earlier Monday that the Fever have been focusing on White to exchange Sides as coach. White beforehand coached the Fever in 2015 and 2016.
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White didn’t verify what could also be subsequent for her, however did say it was a “skilled and private resolution” to depart the Sun and thanked Connecticut for what the group did for her.
“It isn’t a simple resolution to depart Connecticut, however I feel the most effective one for my household and my profession,” White advised ESPN. “It is meant loads to me — I am so grateful to Jen and the group. It is a top-notch group. For me to have the ability to return to teaching — which I did not know if it could be attainable — with such an amazing workforce and training employees, it is meant loads to me.
“So this has not been straightforward. However actually, on the finish of the day, it is powerful for me being away from my household. So from an expert standpoint and a private standpoint, I really feel prefer it’s the most effective resolution.”
The Sun will look to rent White’s alternative ideally over the following few weeks, Rizzotti mentioned.
“I feel No. 1 is just a few stability over an unsure time within the WNBA,” Rizzotti advised ESPN about what the franchise is in search of. “I feel that there is a chance of a variety of turnover in rosters all through the league, and I need to search for a frontrunner that is prepared to guide us into the long run, to have the ability to keep a degree of competitiveness, and if we’ve got to retool our roster slightly bit, to have the ability to develop with that workforce and develop as a corporation.”
The Sun — who’ve appeared within the semifinals every of the final six seasons — presently have their total roster exterior of Marina Mabrey, Tyasha Harris and Olivia Nelson-Ododa set to hit free company heading into 2025. That features stars All-Stars Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones.
“I feel we’re all the time going to have the objective of profitable a championship, nevertheless it may simply should be a distinct path,” Rizzotti mentioned. “And I might like to offer our subsequent coach the time to have the ability to determine what that’s.”
Rizzotti mentioned the group might be open-minded in regards to the types of candidates they contemplate, however that “having coaches [in-market year-around] to ensure there’s continuity round participant contact and exercises and facetime, having the ability to construct up what we’re doing locally” is a precedence.
“The onerous factor is there’s been a notion that there is not a variety of job safety within the WNBA. I do not assume that is the case in Connecticut,” Rizzotti mentioned. “I might prefer to assume that this can be a place the place you may have a while to construct the roster and this system the precise manner.”
ESPN’s Michael Voepel contributed to this report.