Stephanie White addresses Sophie Cunningham’s bold career decision

Stephanie White returned as the head coach of the Indiana Fever last season. The last time she called the shots for Indiana was from 2015 to 2016. 

The 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year led the Fever to a franchise-best record of 24 wins and 20 losses. Indiana also won the WNBA Commissioners Cup title last season. Unfortunately, they failed to win the WNBA Championship, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.

In the upcoming season, White and the Fever will run it back as they re-signed their key pieces from last year. Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham will return to Indiana for the 2026 WNBA season.

Stephanie White praises Sophie Cunningham for her career decision

Cunnigham was interviewed during the Fever’s media availability on Monday. During the interview, the seven-year veteran revealed that she has had a sports psychology coach for the last five years.

“I think that’s what allows me to be confident,” Cunningham said. “You’re never gonna play perfect, we’re all human. So, it’s during the good, and it’s during the bad as well.”

Coach White praised her for her bold decision, as she understands that what Cunningham is doing is outside societal norms.

“I think that sport is always on the forefront of change,” White said. “And understanding the impact of sports psychology, regular psychologists, therapists — all of that. It’s important.

“Look, what these women do every day is hard. What they challenge themselves and push themselves to do physically, mentally, and emotionally is hard.”

The Fever coach understands the mental aspect of sports, and she encourages Cunningham and her other players to appreciate its significance. 

“Making sure that they understand that,” said the head coach. “The holistic person, the holistic player, and what you do to put yourself in a position to be successful encompasses it all. It’s not the old-school ‘you leave everything outside the lines.’ That’s not realistic.” 

White also wants to ensure the organization has what it takes to care for its players physically and mentally.

“For us, being able to provide resources that help the whole aspect of our players is important,” White said. 

After their impressive preseason outing, the Fever will look to surpass their performance last year as the 2026 WNBA season is only a few days away. They are physically a cohesive unit, but, as Cunningham and White’s approach demonstrates, the mental aspect of the game is equally important.    

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/stephanie-white-addresses-sophie-cunningham-career-decision-fever/