Stephanie White would have been thinking, “It can’t get worse than this,” at every problem they have faced this season. First, they lost Caitlin Clark to injury troubles, although she is not completely ruled out, but they have been without her for almost the entire season. Then their only two point guards just happened to get season-ending injuries in the same game. White couldn’t believe their luck.

So when Sophie Cunningham screamed in pain after Bria Hartley fell into the side of her knee, White had to let some frustration out. She yelled, “Holy S***.” White’s frustration was clear. Caught up in the heat of battle, adrenaline took over, and she let it show. Make no mistake, it was an emotional moment for the entire team. They had clawed their way back to compete this season, and it seemed like a final straw. But instead of weeping in it, Kelsey Mitchell and Co. let it fly and mounted a comeback over the Connecticut Sun.

With tears in her eyes, White laid bare her emotions after the game, saying, “It’s going to be hard to talk about, get emotional? I mean, first and foremost, they are human beings? You know they’re selfless, they’re tough, they don’t care, who gets the credit, they don’t care whose day it is, they just, they got something inside, and you just can’t teach.”

Mitchell came in like a superhuman. She matched her career-high with 38 points on 11-of-22 shooting with five 3s and 11 free throws. Their new hardship signee in Odyssey Sims dropped 19 points on her first start. Aliyah Boston had another double-double, and Natasha Howard scored 18 with 9 rebounds. It was a season-defining display from this Fever squad in the face of a bleak future.

Even when the headlines read Mitchell, the supporting cast was just as great as White further detailed,“You know, they bring it out of each other, and it allows us to go through these incredibly tough times that we’re going through, and always gives us a chance. And I’m just so incredibly proud of them for continuing to believe, for continuing to pull together, for continuing to step up.”

White is not only the coach of this team. She considers them as family. “I look at them like I look at my kids,” she had said after their Sky win. “You sit back and smile. You see how they come together and how they bounce back.” Mitchell has shouldered leadership to a whole other level this season. She filled into that point guard role along with Cunningham, and both continued their output despite their adjustment.

White ensured to give the flowers to everyone on the roster, concluding by saying, “I mean, every single person on this roster impacts winning for us, and every single person on this roster is valued for how they impact me, whether they play a second or not. They give and give and give to this team, and I’m thankful for this group.”

Hull had to sacrifice her starting spot for Odyssey Sims, as they wanted a ball-handler on the roster. With one of their point guards off the court along with a steep trail, it seemed there was no hope. However, the Fever proved that no adversity will ever affect their resilience. This game was much like their Dallas match-up, where they rallied from a 17-point deficit but ended with a 1-point loss. This time, they were sure to convert their comeback into a result.

White Breaks Down Her Game Plan After Losing Sophie Cunningham

Cunningham has been key for the Fever in the last few games. In the last 10 games, she has averaged 10.1 points and 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while being a sharpshooter from the deep. So when she walked off while the Fever were looking worse than the worst team in the league, White looked powerless to turn things around from that stage.

“Especially the way that she fell and how she was holding herself and how much pain she was in, at the time it’s like, ‘crap,’” admitted White after the game. Cunningham’s injury has no update after the game, but her MRI is scheduled for Monday, when we will have a definitive conclusion on how much time she will miss. While she walked off, White still had a game to win.

She further explained, “And then you go down there, you see her and it’s like OK, I just want her to calm down and be able to regroup, and then it turns to problem solving, right? How do we put ourselves in a position to win? I think that’s maybe how I survive is going straight to problem solving. But this group, they’re special and I’m thankful for them.”

This quick thinking is what makes White an elite coach. As we saw, she held back her emotions during the game, but after the final buzzer, they spilled out for all to see. This measured approach was one of the reasons they were able to come back from that deficit. Sure, she might have her bad moments or have some decisions go against her, but she treats this team like her own. White’s got her work cut out for her with back-to-back showdowns against the powerhouse Lynx. With nine games left, the Fever’s grit and fight will be put to the ultimate test.