Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White heaped praise on Caitlin Clark and the star guard’s handling of international fame – even likening the 23-year-old to Taylor Swift

Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift may have more in common than just being Kansas City Chiefs fans.

Last month, Clark and Swift sat side-by-side in an Arrowhead Stadium suite as the Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans, 23-14, in the NFL Divisional Round. As two of the biggest figures in their respective professions, the WNBA phenom and pop icon’s get-together drew considerable attention.

Speaking to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White praised Clark for how she manages the responsibilities that come with being one of the most famous basketball stars in the entire world. The 47-year-old even likened her player to Swift, commending both individuals for their authenticity while in the spotlight.

“I think first and foremost, she does an outstanding job of managing it all. Like, she’s incredibly humble,” White said of Clark. “She understands the big picture. So she views it understanding her celebrity, No. 1. But No. 2, she’s a Midwest kid, a Midwest person and she is who she is. She tries to live her life in an authentic way. But she’s very much Taylor Swift 2.0.

“So I think from my perspective, and from our staff and franchise, it’s how do we help her navigate all of this? How do we help her protect her peace? Because it can be a lot. How can we be a resource for her? It’s a different level now with social media and fan engagement. We want to be a resource and help protect her.

“She’s an incredible kid. I call her a kid, but she’s obviously a young woman,” White continued. “An incredible talent. She’s an incredible human being. She works her tail off. There’s a reason she is who she is in terms of a player. She’s handled all of this with such grace and poise that most 23-year-olds wouldn’t be able to.”

Clark received praise for her ability to handle international fame ( 
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Since bursting onto the national scene while playing at Iowa, Clark has shattered a flurry of records both at the collegiate and professional levels. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft most recently earned All-Star and Rookie of the Year honors while placing fourth in the league’s MVP rankings.

As for how she plans to help one of the WNBA’s best players become even better, White outlined her plan to keep Clark’s focus on the court. “From a coaching perspective, keep the main thing the main thing,” she said.

“Help her protect her peace and then help her continue to grow on the basketball court. We let our players know sometimes you gotta minimize the noise around you and focus on what our job is. Our job is to put the best team and the best product on the floor that we’re capable of doing.”

On the heels of being named the Time’s Athlete of the Year, Clark expressed a desire to not lose sight of her true self – adding that she’s learned to ignore the outside noise. “I try to just be real and authentic and share my truth and I think that’s very easy for me,” she said. “I’m very comfortable in my own skin and that’s kind of how it’s been my entire life.

“I think I have good perspective on that … I feel like one of my best skills is just blocking things out. The only opinions I really care about are the people I love, my teammates, my coaches, the people inside our locker room, the people I see every single day and I know have my best interest at heart.”