Stephanie White

I appreciate you having me on.

I appreciate you having me on.

Yeah, you know, it's interesting because people, when they ask about my background, I consider myself a community project. You know, I grew up in a very small town in the state of Indiana. And of course, you know, anybody who knows basketball knows the rich history of basketball in the state of Indiana and typically that works through the cornfields, right? So it's country and it's basketball.

Yeah, you know, it's interesting because people, when they ask about my background, I consider myself a community project. You know, I grew up in a very small town in the state of Indiana. And of course, you know, anybody who knows basketball knows the rich history of basketball in the state of Indiana and typically that works through the cornfields, right? So it's country and it's basketball.

And that's really how I grew up. And I grew up in a small community, no stoplights in our entire county, right? Everybody in our county went to one high school. And growing up in that area, it was thought at the time that no one from a small school would get a college scholarship offer. I wasn't going to be able to do that unless I moved to the city or I moved to a bigger school.

And that's really how I grew up. And I grew up in a small community, no stoplights in our entire county, right? Everybody in our county went to one high school. And growing up in that area, it was thought at the time that no one from a small school would get a college scholarship offer. I wasn't going to be able to do that unless I moved to the city or I moved to a bigger school.

And everyone in my community was dead set on helping me accomplish my goals, whether that was from the time I was 10 years old playing with the guys who I called the old men in our town who played on Sundays and Wednesdays, who were probably in their 30s maybe at the time.

And everyone in my community was dead set on helping me accomplish my goals, whether that was from the time I was 10 years old playing with the guys who I called the old men in our town who played on Sundays and Wednesdays, who were probably in their 30s maybe at the time.

allowing me to play with them and really trying to teach me the game to, you know, when we couldn't afford to send me to AAU national tournaments, you know, that, that our community got behind that and had fundraisers and helped me, you know, get to the point where I could be seen by college coaches. I mean, remember, you know, that was a long, long time ago. So no social media, right?

allowing me to play with them and really trying to teach me the game to, you know, when we couldn't afford to send me to AAU national tournaments, you know, that, that our community got behind that and had fundraisers and helped me, you know, get to the point where I could be seen by college coaches. I mean, remember, you know, that was a long, long time ago. So no social media, right?

Like very little, very little television, no internet, you know, none of that stuff. It was, You go to a couple of tournaments a year that college coaches are there. You go to one AAU national tournament, the college coaches are there, and that's how you get seen. And so I do feel like I was a community project.

Like very little, very little television, no internet, you know, none of that stuff. It was, You go to a couple of tournaments a year that college coaches are there. You go to one AAU national tournament, the college coaches are there, and that's how you get seen. And so I do feel like I was a community project.

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 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.

And so the ability for that to happen and the opportunity that presented itself, it was too good to be true.

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.

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.

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.