The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Good Follow - Indiana Fever’s Stephanie White Joins The Show, Paige Bueckers Goes #1 + WNBA Rivalry Week & More
Wed, 16 Apr 2025
This week on Good Follow: Ros & Logan discuss if Paige Bueckers could be the next face of basketball in Dallas, react to players like Deja Kelley and Diamond Johnson not being drafted, and look ahead to some of the featured matchups during the WNBA’s new rivalry week. Then, Ros sits down with Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White to talk top priorities for the Fever, Caitlin Clark in year 2, utilizing Aliyah Boston, offseason moves, and more. Later, Ros and Logan discuss Paige Bueckers' Unrivaled contract, and the transfer portal in a game of “Big Deal or No Big Deal.” Finally, Logan shares her NWSL pick of the week presented by DraftKings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Who are the hosts and what will be discussed in this episode?
Hey, what's up, everyone? Welcome to Good Follow, presented by DraftKings. I'm Roz Goldonwude. That's my girl, Logan Hackett. Logan, what's going on? How are you? I'm great. How are you? Girl, I'm good. I can't believe it's April already. Can you? Where's the time going?
Right. I was just looking at the calendar and the fact that training camp starts like next week, I think Sunday, the 27th, whenever that is. It's too quick. Everything is so fastly approaching.
We got a great show for y'all today. These are the topics we'll be discussing. The WNBA draft, obviously. Paige Beckers and her fit in Dallas. And literally, Paige's fashion fit at the draft, plus all the different looks and fashion and fit that came out of the draft. We take a look at the WNBA's sparkly new Rivals Week and which matchups we like more or less.
And whether or not Unrivaled is putting more pressure on the WNBA with their lucrative contracts. And we continue to update you on the college transfer portal, including the underclassmen mass exodus out of UCLA. Plus, we also have an exclusive sit-down interview with Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.
And she takes us through the entire roster, including her vision for Kaitlyn Clark in year two. So big show, Logan.
Huge. I'm so excited. But y'all, as always, thank you so much for subscribing, commenting, liking, pressing all the buttons, following us. And new episodes drop every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. So y'all better tap in. Rozzy, ready?
Ready to go.
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Chapter 2: Could Paige Bueckers become the new face of basketball in Dallas?
Alrighty. Well, as we all expected, Paige went number one in the WNBA draft on Monday night. And though we knew it was going to happen, it was still bittersweet and Dallas is welcoming her with open arms. But if you kind of think of the state of basketball in Dallas, it's quite up in the air right now. I mean, fans are still upset that they lost Luca.
They don't really have a star, a top tier face of basketball. So do you think that Paige could be the new face of basketball in Dallas?
I think it's a super exciting time right now in Dallas, getting Paige Beckers, getting the number one overall draft pick. It's hard for me to say that Paige suddenly becomes the face of basketball in Dallas when Arike Ogumbawale is on that team and heading into her seventh season there. And you also got Dejanay Carrington. I mean, these are full-blown stars on this team.
And I also think, like, there might be a natural transition period or adjustment period. Being a guard in the WNBA is hard. Paige is built, wiry, and defenders are bigger, stronger, faster. My question is, can Paige keep up her efficiency as a shooter? I know that was something she was always obsessed with and loved. But her shooting ability will create spacing.
I think she's going to eat off of the spacing created for her by Arike Ogunbowale. And I also think Dallas now has so much wing depth, because it's not just Paige Beckers or Arike. They also added Aziah James, which is a great guard player out of the collegiate side. You have Ty Harris. You have Dijanae Carrington on the wing.
And I think that'll be big for Arike, who played the most minutes in the league last season, 38.6 minutes per game or something like that. My girl can have a chance to rest, which might be beautiful for the rest of the team. So that depth is exciting. But as far as Paige, she's so likable. She's easily marketable. Her teammates are welcoming her with open arms.
Look at all the tweets from Arike, everything. She's got a fan base that'll come with her. And I just think her lighthearted and personality and her being a great human and great teammate, which we've seen her demonstrate over the years, will be very welcome in a Dallas locker room that has a lot of new faces, a new coach. It's a new era. So I think it'll help everything mesh.
I actually just saw a tweet from Arike right before we started filming, and I think it was something around, God takes you through the lows so you can come out on the other side, and Paige is our other side. Like, we're really together as a team and getting Paige with the cherry on top.
But following Paige at number one, the picks two to four went pretty much how we expected, with Dominique Malonga going to the Storm, and then Sonia Citrin and Kiki Irofin going to the Mystics. Now, I was shocked what came after because when you look at the mock drafts, it was completely different. The mock drafts went out the window. It was like they never even existed.
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Chapter 3: What were the surprising picks and snubs in the recent WNBA draft?
they wouldn't allow her to be rewarded by being drafted. So she's going to have to prove her way in. And I also think she didn't have a great final game of her collegiate season, plus her taking seven years to finish college and the injuries. I think that all went against her there. Another player that didn't get drafted, boy, Deja Kelly. First of all, she was decked to the nines.
She had this awesome outfit on. It almost makes you feel like, oh, how vulnerable and public these players are as they pursue their dreams and that you could fall flat and not get drafted on this very public night. And, you know, Oregon didn't have a great season. I did think she had a nice finish to the season and a great first round performance in the tournament.
Hopefully she'll get a chance in training camp to show what she can do. And the biggest outcry came for Diamond Johnson out of Norfolk State. So, you know, we're talking to HBCU. This is the MEAC Conference Player of the Year. She averaged like 19 points per game, also was doing it on defense, led the conference in steals. 3.6 steals, was an all defensive selection.
And if critics were like, oh, well, is the MEAC Conference tough enough? But she also played at Rutgers and NC State. You know, this is ACC. This is Big Ten. And she did well there. She was highly regarded there. So I think the critique and the outcry was why suddenly was she not good enough to be drafted here? Given the numbers and the pedigree speaks, the body of work was speaking for itself.
Perhaps it's a lack of attention or respect for MEAC basketball, HBCU basketball and attention to what's going on there.
I can definitely see a lot of them getting training camp contracts, and I hope that they make a team too, because there's no better feeling than going undrafted and then making a team being like, come on now, you should have taken me.
But moving on to the WNBA season, we're getting an entire week dedicated to W rivalries, and they announced that their games are going to be between August 9th and 17th. But while there are some rivalries here, the one that jumps out is Sky and Fever with people upset saying it's not a true rivalry.
But just looking at this as a whole, I mean, do you think that some of these rivalries are being played out?
First of all, Logan, like bigger picture here.
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Chapter 4: What is WNBA Rivalry Week and which matchups are most exciting?
So fever versus Dallas, there's no rivalry, but it is the top two number one picks for the last two years. Right. So like, that's interesting. I'd sign up for that. Like the one, the one, the one, the two places where I'm like, okay, the Valkyries and having a rivalry week is kind of funny. Right. Like they don't even have history. They just started. It's their first year.
Who they beefing with already? And the fact that they're not even going up against teams that are close to them. Like we have Atlanta and then the other one is Chicago. Like at least do a proximity rivalry or something.
Look, Kathy had to showcase her brand new Sparkly franchise somehow, some way. And you mentioned Atlanta. There is Atlanta Dream versus the Phoenix Mercury. So that's Brittany Griner versus her former team. I'm on that one. I'm like, I'm less into that storyline as much as I'm into. Those are two new look rosters on two teams that are very talented.
And I actually just think I'm interested in seeing this very good game between between the Dream and the Mercury. So anyway, I'll be tuned in. I will be sad. And I'm just going to give a clap to the league trying to further storylines, fandom, urgency, stickiness, whether it be through rivalry week or the commissioner's cup. I think it's all good for the game.
It's also taking place as there's a push towards playoffs. So there's a bit more added pressure to the games, but y'all, we have to go to break and coming right up Ross. It's down with the Indiana fever head coach, Stephanie white, and it's amazing. And I cannot wait for y'all to see it. We'll be right back.
Hey, what's up? Good follow. This is Roz, and we have an exclusive sit-down interview with the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. She was the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, an NCAA champion, a baller herself, a WNBA champion, and my former broadcasting teammate. What's up, Stephanie White? What's going on? How are you? I'm good.
It's so great to have you on the show, Steph, and that you made the time. I'm sure you have a
I appreciate you having me on.
Yeah, for sure. I was, you know, looking up all of your history and stories and I'm like, this is a real indie gal. Like born in Indiana, you played your college ball in Indiana at Purdue. You played for the Fever in the WNBA along other stops. In coaching, you actually were an assistant coach with the Fever. And now here you are back as the head coach of the Indiana Fever.
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Chapter 5: Who is Stephanie White and what is her connection to Indiana basketball?
And so being from Indiana, being able to continue my career in college and the WNBA in Indiana, It's just in my blood. You know, it's in my blood. It's who I am. And so the opportunity for me to be able to come home and I really, you know, mean that it's not just a phrase to me to come home, you know, was was it just I didn't know that I didn't think that that would happen.
And so the ability for that to happen and the opportunity that presented itself, it was too good to be true.
This is a true homecoming in every way of it. And not to continue to use cliches, but it took a village. Yes. And it says a lot about you that pretty much what you said was the whole hood. Everybody believes in you.
Chapter 6: How does Stephanie White describe her upbringing and basketball journey in Indiana?
Exactly.
We were like, we're going to get Steph to her dreams. And you've absolutely done that as a player, as a coach. And you've been already a part of... history with the Indiana Fever franchise and organization. Before we talk about the present, I want to look at history because you actually overlapped as a player with the great Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.
And as a coach, you were on the staff when that team won the WNBA championship, the only one in Fever history. So let's start with Tamika Catchings. Just like How did she influence the way you see the game and impact this franchise and set a tone for it?
Yeah, you know, the interesting thing about Tamika, when she was drafted, I don't know if you recall when she was drafted, she was injured. She had hurt her knee. She was not going to play her rookie year. And I was a part of the team at that time. Tamika and I were roommates a lot on the road. And I remember she didn't say a lot, right? She didn't talk a lot. She wasn't playing.
She wasn't actively involved in practice every day. But we didn't win a lot, right? Like, we were an expansion team. We didn't win a lot. but she still had this competitive fire. And so when she did speak in the locker room, whether it was about our habits or about the way we were approaching games or like, and she was not used to losing, right? She was used to winning.
You know, it said a lot to me about the type of number one player in person and competitor that she was, but number two leader she was going to be. that she was not actively involved in playing or participating at that time, but she was actively involved in where we were going to be and how we were going to go about our business on a daily basis. And I loved that about her. And that's who she is.
Ultimately, that's who she is. And I remember as a teammate, You know, it was, Tamika sets the standard because she works in practice the way that she plays, which is all out every day.
And a terror, historic terror on defense, you know? But I think it's cool that you got to see two perspectives of her, like her early in her career and then later as a coach, you know, her fully blossomed as a player. And, you know, you've got an interesting roster that you're heading into as the head coach. And we like focus in on the now for the Indiana Fever roster.
You've got a unique locker room. It is undoubtedly super talented, but it's such a mashup of unique personalities. And I'll also say established storylines for each of these players. Like there aren't some players that like haven't figured out what they're about or like the storyline hasn't been created for them in the W. And you've got all of this coming into your locker room.
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Chapter 7: What was Stephanie White’s experience with Tamika Catchings and her impact?
To continue to become one of the greatest players in the history of our league, played every different kind of role, is soft-spoken. So when she speaks, you listen because it matters, right? Gives us a little bit different look at that position than we've had before. Dewana Bonner. who, again, winner, right?
Has won at every level, competed and won her championship in Phoenix, competed for championships with us in Connecticut. Versatility, which is critical for our system and what we want. Ultra competitive. Um, and, but also like a mother hen, right?
So it can be that one that can, can like push you and challenge you, but also like embrace you and hug you and help you understand all the things that they go along with, with the ups and downs and the long season that we have this sprint marathon of a season. Um, You know, and can knock down a shot, can spread the floor, can do all the things that we need to do.
You know, Sidney Colson, a backup point guard, was really important for us. Again, a winner. A winner at every level.
And vibes.
And vibes. And different kind of leadership. Like, not afraid to speak her mind. Like, has been through the rigor and the battles. Has played, has not played. Has been in rotation, has not been in rotation. Was called upon when Chelsea Gray goes down with injury in the finals and ultimately helps them win the series.
after not having played a lot throughout the course of the season, so has played various roles and understands how important it is to stay ready, is one of those players who can nip things in the bud in the locker room without it having to get to us as coaches. Builds our depth on the perimeter, allows us a little bit more versatility with Kaitlin and Kelsey and what we do with them.
Really important to get somebody of her caliber, certainly for us. Sophie Cunningham. Toughness, right? Winner, ability to play multiple positions, plays with tough, has played with tough competitors. I mean, was essentially mentored by the all-time greatest in Diana Taurasi, right? So now she can be that mentor.
She can be that player who comes in and brings us that toughness and that swag, yet keeps our versatility, can knock down shots, which shot making is so important. you know, for us and take some pressure off of our big three because all of these other guys can do their own thing, right? But when they fit with what we have, I think it makes us really, really dangerous.
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Chapter 8: What are Stephanie White’s priorities and vision for the Indiana Fever’s roster?
I think they were bragging on the types of texts they all got. I'm sure they were. You know, I think my initial reaction is, look, like, Momentum-changing technicals, we can't have. The unnecessary ones, we can't have. Having conversations about what it means to show your fire. You don't want to take any of that away because that's what makes her special.
But to channel some of that in a way that may not hinder our team. The margin for error in this league to win a championship is so small. You know, and if one technical in a game changes the momentum and causes you to lose it, that's big. So when we get them, the timeliness of them, the ones that happen, you know, in a heat of the moment, competitive, whatever. OK, like, yeah, we live with those.
It's the nagging ones, right? Like getting on the official and continuing to nag and nag and nag. Like, that's my job. That's my job. So I think for me, it's helping her navigate the when to do it and when not to, you know, helping her maintain, you know, a constructive channel for a lot of that competitive spirit.
And, you know, I think it's important for Caitlin to utilize Tameka Catchings because catch was the same way. Like, you know, oftentimes our greatest strength can sometimes be our greatest weakness, right? That fiery competitive, like is the reason that you're, you're so successful, but sometimes it can, it can hurt depending upon the timing of it.
And so I think catch is a great resource for that too. Um, you know, I think just being honest with her about like, um, certain times like, yo, it's time to kind of chill or, or, Hey, yeah, yeah, go ahead. Or I'll get this one.
right like i get this one um you know having those conversations i you don't want to stifle the things that make her great um but you also have to take into consideration all of the things that go into the ultimate opportunities for success for your team
I think this is why it's so great that you're a coach here because as a broadcaster covering you as a coach, players have often said you're a player's coach. And like, I feel like this is one of those moments where like, you've got a good feel for it in working with her. Okay. So besides this decreasing texts, we already know that Caitlin has put on some, some strength and muscle.
She had that viral picture. You saw that.
Yeah. I asked her if it was Photoshopped.
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Chapter 9: What are the strengths and leadership qualities of the new players on the Fever?
you know, cross body finishes, whether it's floaters at the rim, whether it's quick floaters, long floaters, you know, euros, you can't quite be as fundamentally predictable with as much athleticism, speed, quickness, and as much as the game plan is going to be geared toward her.
And then I think the challenge for us as coaches is how do we get a rest when she's on the floor while she's playing, right? Like while she's on the floor and some of that's going to be playing off ball, utilize her as a screener,
getting her into action on the third and fourth side instead of the first and second where it's easy to game plan against um now how we use her to help everybody else be better off the ball we know how great she is with the ball in her hands we're not going to take that away but we've got to be able to diversify a bit in how we use her so from those kind of challenges as well i mean we've got like a short-term kind of list and and we got a long-term kind of list but but caitlin
Now I remember from the very first day when we were working on balance and we were working on footwork and we were looking at all those things from day one to day two, she had it. Wow. Like, like she's a perfectionist and she, she wants it and she's going to work on it. So that long list might get shorter every day. Every day we're in practice.
Another part of the list, too, takes a look at Aaliyah Boston because that two-player game between Kaitlyn Clark and Aaliyah Boston, by the end of the season, Steph, it really had a lot of growth and rhythm and flow to it. So what do you envision, you know, that part of the game, especially Aaliyah Boston here in year two of them together?
Yeah, I think number one, yes, you're absolutely right. I love the way that they work together in the two-man game. They got so good at reading one another. You know, I think Aaliyah is an outstanding facilitator as well from that post position. So we're going to use her a little bit more like a hub, right? Like a little bit more like a, like a Jokic.
and how she gets the ball and whether that's, you know, in the trail, you know, in a lot of our stuff in flow or whether that's on the block, I don't want her to have to work as hard, like one-on-one, you know, I don't want her to have to just, you know, pound and pound and body and dribble in a one-on-one situation to get shots. We want to make her life easier.
How can we get her touches at the rim where she can just go right into her finishes? How can we get her touches off the block where then we can run off ball action and she can be a facilitator. Then she can get into other actions where, that allow her to move after she's gotten rid of it to get some easy buckets, as opposed to just everybody knows a strong side pick and roll is coming.
So a little bit more movement, a little bit more usage in her in terms of facilitating and a little bit more versatility in her game. I mean, challenging her to become a consistent, doesn't have to be high volume, but a consistent three-point shooter, like looking for those, you know, being able to use other aspects of her game outside of just pounding with her back to the basket.
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Chapter 10: How does Stephanie White view Kaitlyn Clark’s playing style and competitive fire?
whether it's Caitlin Clark, whether it's the Indiana Fever or the WNBA in general, to further these hateful narratives that aren't WNBA fans, that aren't Indiana Fever fans, that aren't Caitlin Clark fans, to be quite honest, utilizing that. So I think, number one, for our team, our challenge is going to be What do we allow inside the building? What do we allow inside the locker room?
We've got to be very protective of our space. We got to be very protective of our team. If you don't have the ability to shut it down, then we have to have and utilize the resource to be able to keep it on the outside. We cannot allow that to infiltrate our building. And then on a global scale, I think for us as a staff, as an organization, as a league, we have to continue to be vocal
about what is expected, what is accepted and what is not. There is no place for the hate, the vitriol, the language, the narratives that have been spewn upon the WNBA from last season to this season. And look, part of being a great league, and our male counterparts have seen this as well, some of it comes with it. Some of it comes with it. And you can root for your team.
You can dislike an opponent. You can dislike whatever it is. Be a fan. But don't be a bad human being. Be a fan, but don't be a jerk. It's not that hard to not be a jerk. You know, I tell my children the same thing all the time, guys.
Like, look, there's a way to be a fan and there's a way to root for your team and there's a way to get on opponents and coaches or whoever it may be that you're not attacking them personally. You're not attacking them, you know, from racially. You're not attacking their sexual orientation. You're not attacking who they are as a person. Right.
But you can you can critique like that's part of the thing. We know it. Right. We know it in all of our jobs. Right. That's part of it. But it's not that hard to not be a jerk.
It's not that hard to be respectful and just continuing to be vocal about it and continuing to make sure that we are propelling the right narratives about our game, continuing to make sure as as media members that we're covering the right narratives, that we're not allowing the trolls to create the news and taking ownership and accountability of that as well.
I mean, mic drop. So well said. I couldn't support that more. So I think that's a wonderful way to finish this interview. And I truly appreciate any time I get to just kick it with you and talk hoops, learn. I'm just literally, I should be like taking notes. But I feel like, you know, this is a very important time in women's hoops, an exciting time for the Indiana fever.
And I'm so glad you're at the helm of it. And I wish you the best of luck. I appreciate it. Thank you.
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