Caitlin Clark’s sophomore season was supposed to be special. The off-season had meant building on strength and conditioning, working on those finishes, and focusing more on off-ball movements. “She is stronger… she’s got a lot of self-awareness,” coach Stephanie White had revealed, feeling optimistic about year 2. But it wasn’t long before the dream season had started to feel like a nightmare. Injuries, officiating, physicality– the blame stacks up, but one sports columnist insists the real problem is the head coach herself.

The Indiana Fever sit at 6th place with a 19-16 record as they head into the final stretch before the playoffs. But looking at their roster, it’s hard not to feel for coach Stephanie White. The team has been hit hard with injuries. Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and now Sophie Cunningham are all out, leaving Odyssey Sims as the only true point guard. Keeping the Fever in the fight under these circumstances has been anything but easy.

But on the Fearless with Jason Whitlock podcast, the general consensus was clear that Stephanie White is the real problem behind the Fever’s struggles. Whitlock himself argued that White doesn’t realize the blessing she has with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, two guards who can create for themselves, yet she’s failed to bring the best out of them when played together.

One guest on the show echoed that same point, saying: “I feel as if Stephanie White is an old-guard coach, and with this new modern style of basketball — specifically the WNBA — when you’ve got a guard like Caitlin Clark who can shoot like that, she does have to step out the way. I think we saw that last year with Christy Sides. Reality set in for her, and she knew in the second half of that season, if you want to make any motion, if you want to get anywhere within this league, you have to let Caitlin and the other shooters on this team do what they’re designed to do. Hopefully Stephanie White understands that.”

Coach White has always been known as someone who focuses on getting the best out of the whole team rather than just one star player. Her track record proves it. During her two years with the Connecticut Sun, she had six players averaging double figures in 2024 and four players hitting double digits in 2023. She even won Coach of the Year in 2023 and led the league in defensive rating last season. That same blueprint is what she has tried to bring to the Fever as well.

The Fever currently have four players averaging double-digit scoring if you take out Odyssey Sims, who has only played three games so far. It could have been even more if DeWanna Bonner, the Sun’s leading scorer over the past two seasons, had settled in better with the team, but that never quite clicked. Still, every roster has its own demands. According to the crew at the Fearless podcast, though, the bigger issue is that White hasn’t figured out how to get the best out of Caitlin Clark.

The reigning ROTY’s averages have dipped compared to her first year. She’s scoring 16.5 points per game compared to 19.2 last season, though her assists have climbed to 8.8 from 8.2. The real problem, however, is that we’ve only seen her in 13 games so far. On top of that, Clark has been battling injuries, which have clearly affected her shooting and played a big role pulling down her averages.

But that didn’t stop Whitlock from suggesting that Caitlin Clark should follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan and become a “Coach Killer.” He doubled down on the point, saying: “If Caitlin Clark reaches the end of this season and wants a new coach, they better give it to her….You know, I remember a coach killer. His name was Michael Jordan, and he killed a bunch of coaches before he ever got to Phil Jackson.”

We already saw in Caitlin Clark’s rookie season how Christy Sides adjusted midyear, making Clark the focal point. That shift flipped Indiana’s fortunes — from a rough 2-9 start to clinching a long-awaited playoff berth. Still, the Fever front office decided change was necessary and brought in Stephanie White. But if Clark feels this new system isn’t working for her, Whitlock insists she’s well within her rights to demand a change at the top, referencing Michael Jordan.

Jordan himself went through three coaches before Phil Jackson finally arrived. Kevin Loughery, much like Christy Sides with Clark, was dismissed right after Jordan’s rookie year. Stan Albeck only lasted a single season as well. Then came Doug Collins, who stuck around for three years but was ultimately replaced after failing to get the Bulls past the “Bad Boys” Pistons.

So, will Caitlin Clark follow the same path, pushing for a coaching change in search of her own “Phil Jackson”? For now, there’s no sign of that. Everyone within the Fever camp has applauded the work Stephanie White has put in. And let’s not forget, the Fever are the only WNBA team to lift a trophy this season, and they did it without Clark on the floor!

That said, fans would love nothing more than to see Caitlin Clark suit up at least once more this season, and coach White is hopeful for the same.

Stephanie White provides a Caitlin Clark injury update

It’s been a tough sight watching Caitlin Clark be sidelined for 22 games. Having had a flawless college career and rookie campaign, it was much unexpected. But here we are. Before the Sun game, coach White made it clear that Clark’s long-term health won’t be put at risk.

“The most important thing continues to be that she is 100% when she’s ready to come back. The timing is never ideal, but her long-term health and wellness is the most important thing,” White said. It may feel discouraging for Fever fans, but there was also a glimmer of hope in her words. When asked if Clark could return before the end of the regular season, she replied, “That’s the hope. The hope is that she’s back.”

It’s worth keeping an eye on when Caitlin Clark makes her return — and whether she’ll really push for a coaching change like Whitlock suggests. For now, Coach White’s focus is on keeping the Fever in position for a deep playoff run despite all the injuries. As for her own future with the team? Only time will tell.