What is next for Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White?

White held an exit interview today, one week after the original date. She choked up a bit as she began her opening statement, explaining why she had postponed her previously scheduled exit interview.

“Hey guys, first and foremost, I just want to thank you,” White told reporters. “I’ve had a family emergency. That’s why I had to postpone and [I’m] still dealing with it now. It’s been a tough time, but I knew that I needed to get in front of you guys and wrap up, certainly our season. I appreciate the patience as I continue to navigate the situation and look forward to answering questions and reviewing our season.”

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On Oct. 9, it was reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times that White “isn’t expected to return,” to Connecticut next season. Costabile later clarified White’s contract with the Sun was through 2025, though she may still be considered by other front offices around the league. When reporters followed up with White, she explained she hasn’t had any conversations about her career future yet.

“I mean, my priority is my family right now,” White said. “Honestly, just being here for my family, getting through this, that’s my priority … I’m not having conversations right now about anything outside of my family. I’m solely focused on my family and getting through this tough time.”

White also says she hasn’t had much time to reflect on the season her team had. The Sun finished the regular season ranked third in the WNBA, with a 28-12 record. She noted the toughness of her team throughout the season after facing significant adversity, from racial and homophobic discrimination to injuries.

The Sun acquired guard Marina Mabrey midseason in a trade from the Chicago Sky which shifted the team’s chemistry a bit. Yet, the Sun were able adjust fairly quickly to Mabrey’s addition.

They also lost guard Tiffany Mitchell‘s presence on the court after she experienced sepsis, almost losing her life. Then guards Ty Harris and Mabrey both were confronted with postseason injuries. Harris injured her ankle in the few points of their first playoff game against the Indiana Fever, while Mabrey injured her ankle in Game 5 of the semifinals. 

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“I think the resilience of this group, being able to go through the highs and lows of the season, not just the mid-season acquisitions, but it was pretty traumatizing watching [Mitchell] struggle and go through her health scare,” White said.

“There were a lot of ups and downs, but the resilience of this group, to position ourselves to be right there at the end of the year, to be in contention for what our ultimate goal was, to get to the Finals. So, I’m proud of the resilience. I’m proud of the way this team came together. I’m proud of how open, receptive, inclusive and how quickly we were able to come together after the mid-season trade and position ourselves. Certainly disappointed that we didn’t get over the hump and didn’t make it to the Finals, but proud of the resilience,” she continued.

White was also asked if keeping the team’s big three, Brionna Jones, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, together was a priority going forward.

“I certainly think it’s something that you want, but we also understand the realities of this business,” White said. “This is a core group that’s been together for a long time. And thankfully for those three specifically, they have stayed together, and they have wanted to continue to build on their legacy with the Connecticut Sun and I think making sure that we all understand that we would like that to happen. But the reality of the situation is, you never know. Every year a team is going to be different, every year opportunities arise through free agency and some other things that happen. So, we’re thankful for the time that we’ve had, and we’ll take the next steps whenever they present themselves.”

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Eventually, once White is able, it will be important to reflect on her coaching performance and evaluate what worked and didn’t this season. She mentioned in her exit interview that she usually evaluates herself following the conclusion of every game. 

“When you’re going through your post game wrap ups, you know whether it’s evaluations of decision making in the time. You know offensive, defensive adjustments, execution, certainly substitution patterns and putting people in positions to be successful. I haven’t really had the time because I’m so focused on my family right now, just to sort of decompress from that. But it’s something that happens every year. It’s something that happens after every game,” White said.

White was able to reflect briefly during her exit interview and talked about what the coaching staff, including herself, could have improved on.

“Looking back on just, even the second half of the season, into the playoffs, situationally, I feel like we could have done a better job as a staff of putting our team in situations offensively to make life easier,” White said. “I specifically felt like that with [Brionna Jones] in certain situations in a series. I always am hyper critical of substitution patterns and making sure that you have enough gas left in the tank in the fourth quarter to be able to finish ball games, but that’s just what’s top of mind right now.”

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With the WNBA expansion draft approaching, the Sun’s coaching staff and front office have important decisions to make regarding what their next steps are and which players they may choose to protect.

“That’s something that we have to dive into, certainly with [general manager Darius Taylor] and [assistant general manager Morgan Tuck] and [team president Jennifer Rizzotti]. … There were very preliminary conversations, towards the end of the season, but that’s something to dive into quickly and every team is going to be dealing with that and I am part of those conversations, but defer to Darius and Morgan,” White said.

When the time comes, the organization will need to come together and prepare for a successful off season and future. White also works as a media member and is expected to spend time in the industry during the off season.