Seeing the meteoric increase in Caitlin Clark’s celebrity on and off the field has the new Indiana Fever -head coach Stephanie White, who sees only one comparison.
“She’s very Taylor Swift 2.0,” White told The Athletic During a Q&A interview.
Clark’s fame from her days at Iowa, where she became NCAA’s leading leading division I-scorer for both men and women, only rose this last season after she was elected No. 1 unified by the fever.
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Indiana Fever welcomes Stephanie White as their new head coach on Monday, November 4, 2024 during a press conference held at Salesforce Court in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMagn)
Clark continued to win Rookie of the Year while also making the Wnba All-Star team. And she broke several rookie and league items on her way to ultimately being named Time’s Athlete of the Year.
With increased fame, Clark has faced criticism on and off the field, and every movement is naturally dissected by those who look at.
So Clark’s ability to control the rapid increase in fame while still dedicated to her craft is the reason why White can’t help comparing her to the world’s biggest pop star.
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“First of all, I think an excellent job of managing it all,” White explained to the athletic. “Like, she is incredibly humble. She understands the big picture. So she sees it to understand her celebrity, no. Live her life in an authentic way.
White, who was hired in November 2024, after Christie Sides was relieved by her duties, said it is up to her and her staff to “protect her” as that celebrity status continues to grow.
“So I believe from my perspective and from our staff and franchise, that’s, how do we help her navigate all this? How do we help her?
Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays against Dallas Wings in the second half of a WNBA basketball match in Indianapolis, September 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
It feels really white compared Clark with Swift considering their connection already seen in public. Clark and Swift were watched to watch a Kansas City Chiefs playing game last month sitting next to each other in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium.
Clark was also seen at Swift’s era at several stops over the past year as she is a big fan of her music.
Like Swift, Clark decides to continue to influence her field before the year, and White touched the offseasons work that shows her a “stronger” point guard on her list.
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“She has a lot of self -awareness,” White said of Clark. “She immediately figured out that ‘I have to get stronger. I can’t be knocked around so much.’ She has done a good job of getting into the weight room and focusing on her strength, with regard to low gravity, time under excitement, all these things.
The fever has also been proactive in getting some more talent about Clark and Aliyah Boston, especially added two-time WNBA champion and six-time all-star tips Dewanna Bonner. Natasha Howard, a three-gauge master and two-time all-star, will also be on the schedule in 2025.
New Indiana Fever Main coach Stephanie White compares Caitlin Clark with Taylor Swift. (IMagn)
So expectations are naturally erected with a better start five on the floor to Indiana. White understands it, and by also ensuring that Clark can be her normal even on the floor – not worried about the exterior noise and celebrity status – will hopefully lead the fever to their championship goal.
“From a coaching perspective, keep the most important thing the most important thing,” she said of Clark. “Help her to protect her peace and then help her continue to grow on the basketball court. We let our players know sometimes you have to minimize the noise around you and focus on what our job is. Our job is to put The best team and the best product on the floor that we are able to do.
