Connecticut Sun part ways with head coach Stephanie White

After two seasons at the helm of the Connecticut Sun, Stephanie White will not return as the Sun’s head coach next year. Connecticut announced Monday that the team and White have parted ways.

White won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2023, her first year in Connecticut. She led the Sun to two straight playoff appearances in two years, losing in the second round both years. Connecticut had a 55-25 record in two seasons under White.

Connecticut president Jen Rizzotti told ESPN that the decision to part ways was mutual.

“We parted on good terms because some of [White’s] decision-making process was not just about basketball,” Rizzotti said.

White elaborated more on that sentiment, telling ESPN that the decision benefited her life both on and off the court.

“It’s not an easy decision to leave Connecticut, but I think the best one for my family and my career,” White said. “It’s meant a lot to me … But certainly, at the end of the day, it’s tough for me being away from my family. So from a professional standpoint and a personal standpoint, I feel like it’s the best decision.”

The Sun began the 2024 season strong with a nine-game winning streak. The team spent several weeks at the top of the WNBA standings before ultimately ending in third place and securing an eighth-straight playoff berth. Connecticut failed to advance to the WNBA Finals after losing to the Minnesota Lynx, despite forcing a deciding Game 5.

White joined the Sun in 2023 after five seasons as head coach at Vanderbilt. Prior to that, she spent six years with the Fever, becoming Indiana’s head coach from 2015-16.

As for where she will end up next, there are a few options. As of Saturday, White was reportedly speaking to multiple teams about her future, and was in talks with the Sun, the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times. Indiana announced Sunday that the team had fired head coach Christie Sides, while the Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon last month.

Rizzotti told ESPN that Connecticut will plan to hire a new head coach sometime in the next few weeks, saying that the team is looking for “some stability” and a long-term vision when hiring.

The team will have several well-qualified options to choose from, as White leaving Connecticut marks the seventh head coaching vacancy so far this offseason — an unprecedented number for the WNBA. Other openings include the Washington Mystics, who fired GM Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault earlier this week, and the Dallas Wings, who fired Latricia Trammell earlier this month; additionally, the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream also have vacancies after parting ways with Curt Miller and Tanisha Wright, respectively.