Major Update on Stephanie White's Partner Lisa Salters Amid Sky Game Absence
Major Update on Stephanie White's Partner Lisa Salters Amid Sky Game Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White was not on the bench for Saturday's 79-52 win over the Chicago Sky.
Advertisement
She missed practice on Friday due to "personal reasons," leaving her status for the game uncertain. As tip-off approached, a team spokesperson confirmed to IndyStar's Chloe Peterson that White would not be in attendance.
Aside from "personal reasons," no details were provided. Regardless, the team stepped up with Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham out due to injury, giving first assistant coach Austin Kelly his first win as a WNBA head coach.
It's unclear when White will return, but on Sunday, a major update was shared that could provide more clarity on why she hasn't been with the team over the past several days.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.© Grace Smith-INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images
Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals is Sunday night, and White's partner, Lisa Salters, was replaced on ESPN's sideline reporting team by Jorge Sedano.
Advertisement
In a statement to Front Office Sports, ESPN said Salters is dealing with a personal issue.
'Lisa is attending to a personal matter. We send her our best," ESPN wrote.
White and Salters have been in a romantic relationship since at least 2016. While they aren't married, they've raised a blended family consisting of White's three children from her previous marriage and Salters' adopted son.
In the offseason, White returns to their home in Nashville, Tennessee, where Salters lives full time.
The first game White can return to the Fever is on Tuesday, when they face the Dream in Atlanta. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
Advertisement
Related: Price Tag of Caitlin Clark's Luxury Watch Before Angel Reese Game Revealed
Related: Candace Parker Doesn't Entertain Caitlin Clark – Angel Reese Rivalry
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
How Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers put all NBA Finals pressure on Thunder
The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. This is just a great date for some good, nostalgic basketball names. Happy birthdays to Jrue Holiday (35), Sergio Rodriguez (39), Ray McCallum (34), Earl Watson (46), Antawn Jamison (49), Lee Mayberry (55), Jason Caffey (52), Kerry Kittles (51) and Rory Sparrow (67). I feel like I just opened up a pack of basketball cards. This is why they're (W)Indiana Pacers! If before Game 3, I told you the Thunder would make 46.8 percent of their shots, 45.5 percent of their 3-pointers, get to the free-throw line 30 times, out-rebound the Pacers by six and get a combined 70 points on 24-of-53 shooting (45.2 percent) from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, you'd probably feel pretty good about them going up 2-1 in the series. And yet, the Thunder fell to the Pacers 116-107 on the road because the Pacers were able to give the Thunder a taste of their own medicine. Advertisement All season and postseason long, the Thunder have made their opponents' lives miserable by forcing turnovers and giving the stress of quick points coming the other way off those turnovers. But that's what happened to them in Game 3. The Pacers were the aggressors in the turnover department, forcing 19 of those mistakes by OKC and turning it into 21 points. Indiana turned it over 14 times and kept it to 14 points allowed off those turnovers. And it was the Pacers' star guard who set the tone early and often in leading his team to victory. Tyrese Haliburton took a lot of criticism after Game 2. He wasn't as aggressive as people wanted. The one bit of solace was he got going late in the blowout loss, which could have been a tactic by Rick Carlisle to just get his star guard going a little bit to carry into the next game at home. Whatever it was, it worked. Haliburton was great in Game 3, totaling 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. He generated 25 points off those 11 assists. He was the star Indiana needed him to be. There were three big keys to grabbing this victory in Game 3 at home: Now, the Pacers have maintained the home-court advantage through three games, after stealing it in Game 1 in OKC. But now it's time for the Panic Meter: 🚨🚨🚨🚨 for OKC. The Thunder can't go down 3-1. Game 4 is Friday night. Do the Pelicans have their draft-day answer? 🤔 Go big? Maybe the Pelicans need to just draft a big man. Khaman Maluach is huge. Check out Sam Vecenie's new mock for more! 🏀 Not so easy? Haliburton being more aggressive isn't so simple here. Watch the breakdown. 🏀 Another surgery. Jaylen Brown had an operation on his right knee, but he should be fine by training camp. ⚽ Jimmy Goals? A group based in the United States is attempting to buy Crystal Palace. Jimmy Butler is a part of this group. 🎧 Tuning in. Today's 'NBA Daily' discusses the coaching advantage Rick Carlisle has in the NBA Finals. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. What are the Knicks doing right now? I'll be honest. I didn't expect to be talking this much, this often about the Knicks' coaching search. I figured we'd talk about Tom Thibodeau being fired and then have news of Jason Kidd being a target. From there, I figured we'd just kind of wait and see what else happens after a few days or maybe even a week. But the Knicks coaching search has taken a truly bizarre turn that is not only quite unusual, but it also has many of us convinced they never had an actual plan. Advertisement Just to recap: Thibodeau took the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The Knicks fired him a few days after they were eliminated by the Pacers. We quickly started hearing about Mavericks coach Jason Kidd being a guy they wanted to hire. It would require permission from the Mavericks to speak to him, convincing him to take the job, and then negotiating a trade with Dallas to get him to New York. The Mavs denied permission for the Knicks to even speak to Kidd. It doesn't stop there. The Knicks have also been denied permission to speak to Ime Udoka by the Rockets and Chris Finch by the Timberwolves. ESPN also reported they were denied speaking to Quin Snyder by the Hawks. K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network also reported the Knicks were denied by the Bulls to speak to Billy Donovan. Sometimes, in a coaching search, you might get a team asking to speak to one coach under contract. More often than not, you're seeing teams asking for permission to speak to assistant coaches under contract. The Knicks asking permission for possibly five head coaches currently under contract is ridiculous. I guess there's the idea of 'If you don't ask, you don't get' at play here. And if you can deal with rejection, then it's not a horrible thing. It also shows the fan base that this team really didn't have a plan when Thibs was fired. They just wanted him gone. Where does Durant fit best? It feels like Kevin Durant will definitely get away from the Suns this summer. We just don't know where or what it looks like to get rid of him. Durant had a great season when he was on the court. He put up 26 points, six rebounds, 4.2 assists and had 52.7/43.0/83.9 splits. The problem is the soon-to-be 37-year-old played in only 62 games. Since missing a full season with the Achilles' tear in 2019-20, Durant has missed 37, 27, 35, seven and 20 games, respectively. That's a lot of games. He also makes $54.7 million next season, which is both a hard number to deal and an expiring contract. Technically, he could walk if he doesn't like your situation. Or he could potentially influence his next team to agree to a two-year, $122 million extension. It's worth it if he plays healthy enough seasons, but that hasn't happened lately. Advertisement On Wednesday, ESPN reported that Durant and his business partner are sifting through trade scenarios. The five potential partners named were the Heat, Knicks, Rockets, Timberwolves and Spurs. These are five pretty intriguing destinations, so let's see how a potential trade could be structured. (PLEASE NOTE, AGGREGATORS: THESE ARE VAGUE IDEAS OF TRADES AND NOT TRADE REPORTS. DO NOT MAKE TRADE GRAPHICS OR PHOTOSHOPS FOR THESE.). Knicks: The framework of the deal is essentially a Karl-Anthony Towns for Kevin Durant swap. But it's not that simple because the second apron penalties and restrictions make it a very difficult salary-matching endeavor. A third team would need to be involved to work around some salaries. I actually don't think this solves either team's issues. With that being said, Phoenix would pair Devin Booker with his best friend. KD for KAT means the Knicks can't have Mitchell Robinson get hurt. Heat: With Booker and Bradley Beal on the roster, the Suns don't need – nor probably want – Tyler Herro. So, I guess the framework of a deal looks like Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. with a 2030 or 2032 first-round pick attached to it. Maybe that's worth two firsts, but I'd be hard-pressed to see that happened for KD at his age and availability. The Suns shouldn't want to do anything without Kel'el Ware involved, but I'm guessing Miami says no to that. Would this be enough to get Miami back toward the top of an East with a crumbling Boston, broken Milwaukee and whatever Cleveland is? Rockets: I'm assuming Jabari Smith Jr. is not available in this exercise. Amen Thompson obviously isn't. But you have to get some contracts into the mix to get the numbers to match. Jalen Green (they don't need him), Reed Sheppard (potential bust) and Jock Landale makes the contracts work, although that's not much of a haul. What about giving Phoenix their 2027 and 2029 picks back too? This is a no-brainer for Houston. Phoenix can probably do better, though. Spurs: The Spurs don't even have to give up the No. 2 pick in a potential trade. They could probably get away with Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes and Malaki Branham to make the contracts work, and then throw in their 2026 and 2028 first-round picks. Maybe this year's No. 14 too. They have more valuable picks from other teams coming in, so their own picks can be moved easily. I don't hate this trade for both teams, but you have to be concerned a little with both Victor Wembanyama and Durant's health in recent years. Wolves: Minnesota would need Julius Randle and Naz Reid to pick up their player options so they can be moved to Phoenix in a trade. A deal would also have to include Rob Dillingham to make the contracts work. The Wolves don't really have picks they can add here. I'm not quite sure why Phoenix does this, but maybe they just want Anthony Edwards to be happy? Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. Customs and Border Protection removes Club World Cup post amid FIFA concerns
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority has removed a controversial social media post highlighting its upcoming security presence around the upcoming Club World Cup after direct contact from FIFA expressing concerns. Last Friday, the CBP announced on its Facebook page and other social channels that its agents would be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games' while noting that the tournament begins at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium this Saturday. Advertisement According to sources familiar with the conversations, speaking anonymously due to their sensitive nature, the post, which attracted thousands of interactions, was deleted after senior personnel from FIFA expressed concerns to the CBP about the reaction it had provoked. With President Trump's administration having made deportations and a clampdown on illegal immigration key objectives, the post sparked a wave of media and public attention, heightening concerns that fans may be deterred from attending gamers due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP presence. Following contact from FIFA, CBP removed the post. It is unclear the extent to which FIFA's outreach influenced the decision to remove the post, but this episode shows that FIFA are becoming concerned about the potential perception for fans attending the tournament both this year and at next year's World Cup. FIFA declined to comment when approached by The Athletic. In a statement sent to The Athletic on Wednesday morning, a CBP Spokesperson said: 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged.' Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition told South Florida's NBC6 previously that the messaging used by the CBP in the post was 'a bit cryptic, it's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games.' Kennedy added that it may make potential fans 'less likely to come watch the games because of just sheer intimidation.' CBP professionals are sometimes present at major sporting events, according to the organization, in order to help detect and respond to threats and criminal activity. The organization's Air and Marine Operations will also be involved to enforce temporary flight restrictions around stadiums during matches. Advertisement ICE agents will also be at Club World Cup games, as part of the overall security operation. FIFA president Gianni Infantino brushed the controversy aside earlier this week, telling reporters: 'No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question, of course the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games, this is our priority.' FIFA has taken active steps to boost its promotional efforts for the opening games after the initial uptake of tickets was slow. Local college students in the Miami area have been given the opportunity to buy five tickets for just $20 for Saturday's clash between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al-Ahly. (Michael Owens – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
CBS News
35 minutes ago
- CBS News
Phoenix Mercury beat the Dallas Wings 93-80 to spoil return of Paige Bueckers
Satou Sabally had 20 points and 10 rebounds against her former team, Alyssa Thomas added 11 points and 10 assists, and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Dallas Wings 93-80 on Wednesday night to spoil Paige Bueckers' 35-point performance. Bueckers, who returned after missing four games due to concussion protocol and an illness, made her first six shots of the game and finished 13 of 19. She became the fourth rookie in Dallas history to score 30-plus points in a single game, with Arike Ogunbowale the last to do it in 2019. Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings reacts at referee Kelly Broomfield #25 after being called for a foul during the second half of a WNBA Commissioner's Cup game against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on June 11, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. Chris CODUTO / Getty Images But the rest of the Wings combined to go 16 of 48 (33%) from the field. Kitija Laksa had 14 points and four 3-pointers for Phoenix (7-4). Kathryn Westbeld scored all 11 of her points in the first half and Lexi Held also finished with 11 points. DiJonai Carrington added 11 points and eight rebounds for Dallas (1-10). Ogunbowale was just 2-of-10 shooting for 10 points. Bueckers went 8 of 10 from the field in the first half, with three 3-pointers and three free throws, to score 22 of Dallas' 36 points. Her 35 points topped her previous career high of 21 for an entire game. Sabally scored 10 of her points in the third quarter as the Mercury led 67-57.
