Beyond being called the “most resilient team,” the Indiana Fever pride themselves on something deeper: their locker room culture. It’s a standard the front office fiercely protects, ensuring every new addition fits more than just on-court needs. “The young group we’re bringing back asked us, ‘Protect our locker room. Protect the culture we’ve started,’” President Kelly Krauskopf said in February. That foundation has become the Fever’s secret weapon.

The Indiana Fever underdogs shocked everyone by advancing to the second round of the playoffs and then stealing Game 1 against the two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. Naturally, all eyes shifted to Indy. But the road until now was anything but smooth, with head coach Stephanie White facing sharp criticism for navigating an injury-riddled roster. When that criticism resurfaced on ESPN, Lexie Hull wasn’t having it. She stepped up to defend her coach without hesitation.

When asked about the job White has done this season, after a brief mention of social media criticism, Lexie gave well-deserved praise to the HC. “It’s honestly incredible… I don’t think you could put anybody else out there with the hand we’ve been dealt and get the same outcome that we’ve got if we didn’t have her leading our ship. So, we’re really grateful for her,” she expressed while speaking to ESPN’s Vibe Check.

When White took over the throne as Indy’s head coach, she came in after analyzing the previous season and preparing a strategy accordingly. But as the season unfolded, injuries took it all away from her. She had to deal with the loss of Caitlin Clark, Indy’s offensive core. Still, she remained resilient and put confidence in the roster she had, motivating each player.

The team added three vets to the roster last offseason, but only one, Natasha Howard, managed to stay till last. While looking for chances to collect wins with the remaining roster, she also had to deal with players’ absences. But none of it seemed more challenging than that of CC.

Clark has been limited to just 13 games so far, with four different muscle injuries. And that includes her season-ending right groin injury, which has kept her sidelined since July 15. Worst of all? Social media assumed that White forced CC to make a comeback, and that’s what contributed to her recent injury, which cost her the chance to play in the All-Star Game and playoffs this season.

But despite all the criticism, for Coach White: “the most important thing was just making sure that she was okay… anybody who’s been injured, as most of us have right now, being injured and continuing to have setbacks is frustrating—mentally, emotionally—and oftentimes, being injured is isolating. So, from my standpoint, the primary conversations that we’ve had last night and today are just checking in. ‘Are you good? How can we help?” She told Indy during a July 16 interview.

And yes, she remained hopeful, allowing Caitlin Clark limited participation in practice. But even when CC confirmed her season was over, White kept supporting her. The case could’ve been different, too. Take the NY Liberty’s Game 2, for example, when Breanna Stewart played through her MCL injury just because she knew her team needed her.

Indy needed CC, too, yet White chose a different path. She prioritized health over short-term gain. That’s why Lexie Hull didn’t hesitate to praise her coach: “She’s obviously an Indiana legend. I think it’s really great to have someone like that in Indiana. Fans love her, we love her, we believe in her. She’s one of the smartest coaches I’ve played for.”

White had been a star in high school in Indy and in college at Purdue. She played for the Fever for four seasons and had been an assistant to former HC Lin Dunn when Indy won the 2012 WNBA title. She then took over the HC position from 2015 to 2016, and in 2025, she returned. And none could deny that her return has been explosive despite the setbacks.

The blueprint behind White’s winning formula

The formula to keep adding wins is simple: prove the doubters wrong. But a huge part is played by Stephanie White, too. Throughout the season, she’s been propelling the team forward, guiding them to collect wins. And the recent Game 1 win against the Aces was no different. That’s why, after the win, Caitlin Clark tweeted, “STEPHANIE WHITE !!!!!!!!!!!”

It was a shoutout to the coach who’s been driving Indy from the sidelines. We’ve seen her firing up, getting techs, and giving her players the flowers they deserved. And that’s the secret sauce. As Kelsey Mitchell put it best: “I’ve never had a coach that poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has,” she said after the decisive Game 3 win over the Atlanta Dream. “For the first time in my career, I feel like I have someone that really values what I bring to the table as a player and as a person.”

The results prove it, as Mitchell is averaging a career-high 20.2 points with 3.4 assists this season. But it ain’t just AB or Kelsey. Even Sims, who signed with the Fever just over a month ago after injuries ravaged the team, has been flourishing under White’s guidance. In the recent win, Sims had 17 points, with 3 assists and 3 steals.

Yes, Indy’s got to add two more wins against A’ja Wilson and company in the next round of the playoffs. After 3 straight wins in the playoffs, can the underdogs keep up the momentum? Do let us know in the comment box.