Stephanie White addresses Indiana Fever’s coaching decision

hThe Indiana Fever are in the midst of a mid-season coaching shake-up. Head coach Stephanie White will lose a key member of her staff when assistant coach Karima Christmas-Kelly begins her maternity leave in the coming weeks.

To address this development, the front office will elevate scout and video coordinator Tully Bevilaqua to an interim assistant coach role. The Fever are also bringing back a familiar face as an interim advisor.

Gary Kloppenburg returns to the team after his recent retirement. This will be the 73-year-old’s fourth stint in Indiana, proving the strong relationship he’s built with the organization through the years.

Kloppenburg was an assistant coach for the Fever between 2008 and 2011. He returned in 2015-2016 as an assistant under White. Before his retirement, the experienced coach served as a scout for the Fever over the past two seasons.

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White reacts to Gary Kloppenburg’s return

White addressed Kloppenburg’s return on Friday while speaking to the press during practice. The former WNBA Coach of the Year joked that Kloppenburg was already in “grandpa mode” in retirement before they called him back.

White, however, had nothing but good things to say about her colleague.

“No, I think a couple of things,” White said. “One, his familiarity with us. I’ve worked with Gary for a number of years. The first time I was here at the Fever, most of what we do defensively has come from his teachings.

“So for him to be able to come on board, if we get in one of these worst-case scenarios where both Karima and [her husband, assistant coach Austin Kelly] are out, for him to be able to be a resource, … I think it’s really good.

“He’s experienced, he’s watched us, he’s been in training camps. He’s continued to follow our team. I continue to use him as a resource and always have. So it just made sense if he was willing and available to come on board and help us out.”

For now, White is focused on the task at hand. They will be looking to make it back-to-back wins on Sunday when they face the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces.

Indiana is currently 11-8 as the midway point of the season approaches.

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