Stephanie White is Indiana basketball royalty and she was treated as such during her introductory press conference as the head coach of the Indiana Fever on Monday.
White acknowledged the journalists who covered her previous stints here, as a player (2000-04), assistant coach (2011-14) and head coach (2015-16), and they treated her with reverence rather than just respect reserved for an established coach, one of the best in the league. 20 years after her retirement from her playing, the emotional connection is still there and it makes you understand why the Fever couldn’t waste the chance of signing White. As well as why White can’t stay away from the Fever. The following statement captures her attitude and work ethic:
I think people expect a lot out of me, but nobody can expect as much out of me as I do….I want perfection, and I strive for perfection all the time.
However, she didn’t share those words on Monday, but in 2000, as a 23-year-old who just joined her homestate team as the No. 8 pick in the WNBA Expansion Draft. The expectations were high for the 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball and 1999 NCAA champion with Purdue when she came back to Indiana.
