The Indiana Fever will have a new-look front office next season after team president Kelly Krauskopf and general manager Amber Cox abruptly departed. The upstairs shake-up has not affected the sidelines at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, however, as Stephanie White will return for her third season as head coach.

White’s debut season was a success, as she took the Las Vegas Aces to their limit in the semifinals without Clark. Things have gone downhill since, though, and the general sentiment is that the Fever should show White the door alongside Cox. WNBA broadcaster Robin Lundberg believes her days as head coach could be numbered.

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s a change there,” Lundberg said on his YouTube channel. “I still would say Stephanie White is on the clock, and I would bet there would be a change there once the new GM comes in, so it can be their decision… Caitlin Clark’s voice, Aliyah Boston’s voice matter a lot. Track record can matter. People who evaluate these things obviously will matter.”

The futures of the general manager and the head coach are usually tied together. And White is in an even hotter seat, considering Cox was the one who hired her in November 2024 after her stint with the Sun. As Lundberg mentioned, once the Fever rebuild their front office, the new group could very well choose to part ways with White.

Track record is another factor. White is Indiana basketball royalty and was the assistant coach during the Fever’s only WNBA championship in 2012. She arrived with a strong resume from the Connecticut Sun, where she won the Coach of the Year award in 2023, and fans were excited that her experience would help Caitlin Clark reach new heights.

White’s second stint as Fever head coach has been underwhelming given a talent pool that includes Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. A first-round exit against the Aces after producing one of the greatest regular-season offensive displays does not help the case. White said in her exit interview that she wants to remain head coach.

“I feel support from the organization, no doubt about that,” White told reporters. “At the end of the day, it’s their decision about whether I return or not… I love the opportunity, I love this franchise. I have always felt supported by this franchise. I hope to continue to be the coach.”

The Fever’s lackluster defense eventually became the catalyst for their early playoff exit. Opponents averaged 90.5 points at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Indiana’s 109.0 defensive rating was the worst among all playoff teams and ninth overall in the league. Apart from Boston, no other player supported Clark’s offensive prowess effectively.

The irony is that White’s Connecticut Sun was known for its elite defense, which guided the team to back-to-back WNBA semifinal appearances and a 55-25 overall record. Clark herself gave the Fever’s defense an “F” grade after their first-round loss against the Aces.

Speaking of Clark, her relationship with White has been one of the biggest storylines going around in the WNBA this season. Cameras have caught the player and coach in heated exchanges multiple times.

The first came during a bench huddle in the May 30 game against the Portland Fire, after which White subbed Clark for rookie Raven Johnson. The most recent came in Game 1 against the Aces, when Clark threw her hands into the air in frustration after being subbed out in the third quarter.

Lundberg also said Clark’s voice would matter if the Fever decide to move on from White. For now, at least, the 24-year-old has nothing but respect for her head coach.

“I really appreciate Steph,” Clark said when asked about White in her exit interview. “This is, I like to say, the best job in women’s basketball and possibly women’s sports: getting to lead this franchise that has so much notoriety. But at the same time, it can come with some negatives, and people are going to criticize everything that you do. That’s just reality, and people expect greatness.”

The latest reports suggest White will remain the head coach, but growing calls from Fever fans for her departure could put the new front office under pressure to reconsider.