Stephanie White provides personal update after absence with ESPN’s Lisa Salters

Stephanie White shared a personal update after she was absent from Saturday’s Fever game while her partner, Lisa Salters, also missed her on-air assignment for the NBA Finals

Stephanie White addressed her unexplained absence at Monday’s Fever practice(Image: Getty Images)

Stephanie White shed more light on the personal family issue that caused the Indiana Fever head coach and her partner, ESPN/ABC reporter Lisa Salters, to leave their posts over the weekend.

On Saturday, White was notably absent from Saturday’s matchup between the Fever and Chicago Sky after additionally being a no-show at Friday’s practice. One day later, Salters missed her on-air assignment for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Speaking to reporters at Monday’s Fever practice, White conceded that her family is “working through a hard time right now,” but thanked assistant coaches Austin Kelly and Briann January for stepping up in her absence.

“You know, I’m doing all right,” she began. “It’s helpful that we have such a great group, pouring into me and helping give me strength. I’ve said it all along, we’ve got three head coaches on our staff. And so knowing that they continue to step up and do great things gives me comfort.

“Our family is working through a hard time right now. And no matter what, I’m gonna be where my feet are, but I’m really thankful for this group.”

With just under 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Thunder’s 123-107 win over the Pacers, play-by-play announcer Mike Breen shared that Salters’ mother has been fighting “some serious health issues” for quite some time.

“We’re thinking of our dear friend and colleague, Lisa Salters,” he said. “Lisa’s mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now. So, we want to send our love to Lisa and her mom.

“Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.”

Lisa Salters was absent from her post as sideline reporter for Game 2 of the NBA Finals(Image: Getty Images)

With White unable to call the shots from the sideline on Saturday, Kelly filled in as the acting head coach and commanded the Fever to a 79-52 win over the Sky.

“I thought he was great. It’s not a surprise,” White said of Kelly. “When you look at Austin and you look at Bri, both of them are ready to be head coaches in this league. We’re very fortunate that we have him on our staff.

“His poise, his communication, it’s always been very clear. We’re all aligned on the way we see the game, on points of emphasis. I was really proud of him, I was really proud of them. I think they continue to pour into each other and help one another.”

White was more than happy to relinquish her head coaching duties for a game to Kelly, insisting that it’s her duty to best prepare her successors.

“I feel like part of our job as coaches in this league is to prepare the next generation of head coaches,” she added. “We can’t do that unless you give them the freedom to do what they do best and empower them to do what they do best.

“Austin’s ready, Bri’s ready, they both are. They’ve grown, they’ve learned, they’ve taken advantage of their opportunities. It’s not a hesitation at all — if I can’t be here, they’re ready.”