Indiana Colts coach Shane Steichen shouts out Stephanie White for leading depleted Fever roster to playoff semis

The Indiana Fever did the unthinkable as Stephanie White's squad secured a place in the WNBA playoffs semifinals after defeating the Atlanta Dream 87-85 in Game 3 and closing the first-round series.

The Fever walked into their first-round matchup as the underdogs. They were lacking almost all of their primary guards, who are sidelined with season-ending injuries, and were short on roster depth. However, White's tactical brilliance helped the team to secure the series despite losing Game 1.

Indiana Colts coach Shane Steichen shouted out Stephanie White during a media appearance on Friday.

"I'll start off with a shoutout to the Fever and coach White for getting it done last night and moving on," He said. "Obvously they have been through some adversity with some injuries and it's the next person up for them. So it's been fun and wish them all the best luck in the next round for sure."

Later, Steichen praised the Fever squad for the unity and toughness they have shown throughout the entire series.

"I thought it was awesome to find a way to win there. It shows just the grittiness, the toughness, the resilence that they are playing with right now. You can see that they are all playing together. So, it's exciting for them and it's exciting for the city."

The Fever are now scheduled to take on the Las Vegas Aces in the semi-finals. Game 1 of the five-game series will be held at the Michelob ULTRA Arena on Sunday.

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Stephanie White delivers an emotional message after Fever secure semifinals spot

After the Indiana Fever punched their ticket to the semifinals, Stephanie White delivered an emotional message that almost brought her to tears in the locker room.

The Fever shared the video of White's speech on their X account. In the video, White is seen celebrating with her players as they enter the locker room after defeating the Atlanta Dream. As she delivered her message, her voice started to crack and tears filled her eyes.

"Y'all are a tough bunch of [expletive]," she said. "I cannot even put into words how proud I am of you. It like that the toughness that it takes, Like the gut checks that it takes. Like y'all it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because we've been through all of it, right? "So it doesn't matter the circumstances, it doesn't matter the score, it doesn't matter the time, you always put your best foot forward. You always get to the next play and it's always someone different. Collectively, all the time."

After that emotional speech, Stephanie White credited the team's defense and individual players for their great performances in the series. Lastly, the entire Fever squad, including the coaching staff, grouped in a huddle to celebrate their win and prepare for the next challenge.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra