Indiana Fever coaching hire is a full-circle moment — and a familial reunion

The Indiana Fever organization is getting ready for the upcoming WNBA season with a new head coach: former Fever standout Stephanie White, who recently coached the Connecticut Sun.

White is excited about the opportunity to lead the Fever, a team she has both played for and coached in the past.

“It feels like everything has fallen into place perfectly,” White said. “There has been no anxiety for me during this transition. This franchise is a part of who I am, and it just feels right. When things are meant to be, it feels really good.”

The question of whether White would bring her assistant coaches from the Sun was up in the air. However, the Fever recently announced the hiring of two assistant coaches. Austin Kelly, who was part of White’s staff in Connecticut, will be joining her in Indiana.

Kelly will be working alongside his wife, Karima Christmas-Kelly, who is a returning assistant coach for the Fever.

Austin Kelly worked as an assistant under White at Connecticut, focusing on the team’s offense. Before his time in the WNBA, he coached at University of Texas-Arlington and Vanderbilt.

Karima Christmas-Kelly, on the other hand, is a former WNBA player who joined the Fever as an assistant coach in 2023. She primarily works with guards on the team.

Christmas-Kelly and White have a history together, as they were part of the 2012 championship-winning Fever team.

An interesting fact about the assistant coach news is that Austin Kelly and Karima Christmas-Kelly are married. They have a one-year-old son, Zayn, who lives with Christmas-Kelly year-round.

Last year, the couple was separated during the WNBA season, with Kelly in Indiana and Christmas-Kelly in Connecticut. They even faced off in the playoffs when the Fever played the Sun.

Now, the couple will be coaching together for the first time.

The Fever have not yet announced the fate of their other assistant coaches under Christie Sides, and it is unclear if White will bring any additional assistants from Connecticut.

White’s lead assistant, Briann January, is highly respected in the league. It is unknown whether she will stay in Connecticut or join White in Indiana.