The Stephanie White era in Connecticut officially has begun.
The CT Sun on Monday announced the news of White becoming the team's sixth head coach in franchise history. White replaces Curt Miller, who was at the helm in Connecticut since 2016 and led the organization to two WNBA Finals appearances. Miller last month was hired away by the Sparks to become Los Angeles' new head coach.
White comes to Connecticut by way of Vanderbilt, where she coached the women's basketball team for five seasons. Prior to her stint with the Commodores, the Purdue product served as an assistant for the Chicago Sky (2007-2010) and coached on the Indiana Fever's staff for six years.
"I am thrilled to be a part of the Connecticut Sun family," White said in a press release. "I have admired the organization from afar since its inception and am looking forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established. I want to thank Jen Rizzotti, Kevin Lowry and the Mohegan Tribal Council for this opportunity, and I look forward to working with a tremendous group of women toward the ultimate goal of winning a WNBA Championship."
White inherits a Sun team that made it to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs or further in each of the last four seasons. Rizzotti, the team's president, believes White can get Connecticut over the hump and lead the organization to its first championship.
"Stephanie White is the right coach at the right time for our organization," Rizzotti said in the release. "She's a proven winner that understands the high expectations we have within the Connecticut Sun organization and our fan base. She has been a part of championships as both a player and a coach, and that is the mentality I was looking to add. I'm excited for our players who will be under her guidance, and I look forward to supporting and welcoming her back to the WNBA."
White's first season with the Sun also will be somewhat of a benchmark campaign for the WNBA as a whole. The league is set to expand its regular-season schedule to 40 games beginning in May.
