INDIANAPOLIS — Stephanie White put her family first when she left Connecticut to become Indiana fever new head coach. This extends to his assistants.
The Fever reported Tuesday that White had hired Austin Kelly and Karima Christmas-Kelly, a married couple with extensive coaching experience, as assistants.
From 2023: When she played for Fever, he was a practice player. Now they are married and coaching in the WNBA.
Kelly comes to Indianapolis after serving as an assistant to White for two years at Connecticut, helping run the Sun’s offense. The Sun reached the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs every season he and White were there. Connecticut was his first foray into the WNBA after several years in the college ranks — he served as an assistant coach and director of recruiting at the University of Texas-Arlington from 2021-23 and director of recruiting at Vanderbilt from 2019-21.
Christmas-Kelly played nine years in the WNBA, then moved into coaching in 2023 when she joined Christie Sides’ Fever team. She worked primarily with the guards during her two years under Sides. As a player, Christmas-Kelly won a title with the Fever in 2012 – when White was an assistant coach.
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Most importantly, Kelly and Christmas-Kelly will be together all year after having their son, Zayn, in the summer of 2023. Zayn stayed with Christmas-Kelly in Indianapolis during seasons 23 and 24, with his father living with She. and helping her while she was at practices and games.
Kelly and Christmas-Kelly were able to reunite at times during the season, including the four times Connecticut and Indiana played during the regular season, the Olympic break and the playoffs. But it was still difficult being away from each other, especially with Kelly not being able to see Zayn in person for long periods of time.
Now they will be together in Indianapolis during the season. The Kellys’ offseason home base is Nashville, where White and his partner, Lisa Salters, are raising their four children.
This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White hires married couple as assistants
