Fri Jun 20 02:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and news article version:

**Summary:**

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will miss Thursday night’s game against the Golden State Valkyries due to a personal matter. Assistant coach Austin Kelly will step in as acting head coach. The team emphasizes maintaining consistency in their message and focusing on team play, defense, and managing player minutes during a busy stretch of games. White has led the Fever to a 6-5 start this season.

**News Article:**

**Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White Absent for Valkyries Game Due to Personal Matter**

**SAN FRANCISCO** – Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will be absent from the sidelines Thursday night as her team takes on the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. The Fever organization announced White is attending to a personal matter and did not specify the duration of her absence.

Assistant coach Austin Kelly will step into the role of acting head coach. Kelly, a long-time associate of White’s from their time with the Connecticut Sun, previously filled the head coaching role on June 7th.

“It’s going to be the same,” Kelly assured reporters after Thursday’s shootaround. “I think we are an extension of each other. The message is still the same that we talk about in the locker room: playing for each other, getting it done on the defensive end and then having that help fuel us on the offensive end. But the vibes are good.”

White, in her first season at the helm, has guided the Fever to a promising 6-5 start, including a Commissioner’s Cup finals berth.

The Fever are currently navigating a demanding schedule of five games in eight days, which include a grueling three-game West Coast trip against the Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, and Seattle Storm. The team will then head back to Indiana for a home-and-away back-to-back against the Los Angeles Sparks before traveling to Dallas to face the Wings. Kelly emphasized the importance of managing player minutes during this period.

“We’re just trying to manage everything within the game and then we’re going to put a lot on them to get treatment in between games,” Kelly told ESPN. “It’s about us taking care of business on the floor, first and foremost, and looking for opportunities throughout the game to manage those minutes.”

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