BASKETBALL
The Connecticut Sun hired Stephanie White to be their new head coach on Monday.
White succeeds Curt Miller, who left to coach Los Angeles last month. She has a combined 15 seasons of experience as a player and coach in the WNBA, most recently as the head of the Indiana Fever in 2015-2016.
“Stephanie White is the right coach at the right time for our organization. She’s a proven winner that understands the high expectations we have within the Connecticut Sun organization and our fan base,” Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti said. “She has been a part of championships as both a player and a coach, and that is the mentality I was looking to add. I’m excited for our players who will be under her guidance, and I look forward to supporting and welcoming her back to the WNBA.”
White left the Fever to take over at Vanderbilt. She was the head coach there from 2016-21.
She inherits a talented team in Connecticut that lost to Las Vegas in the WNBA Finals last season. The Sun have 2021 league MVP Jonquel Jones and star Alyssa Thomas back for next year.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Connecticut Sun family,” White said. “I have admired the organization from afar since its inception and am looking forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established. I want to thank Jen Rizzotti, Kevin Lowry and the Mohegan Tribal Council for this opportunity, and I look forward to working with a tremendous group of women toward the ultimate goal of winning a WNBA Championship.”
White, who won the 1999 NCAA title while playing for Purdue, was drafted 21st that year by the Charlotte Sting. She played in Charlotte for one season before playing in Indiana for four years. White served as an assistant with the Fever when they won the 2012 WNBA title.
SOCCER
NWSL: Mark Parsons has been named the new head coach of the Washington Spirit, returning to the team he led from 2013-15.
Parsons most recently served as head coach of the Dutch women’s national team. He parted ways with the team in August after it failed to defend its title at the Women’s Euro.
Parsons also served as head coach of the Portland Thorns from 2015-20, leading the team to the NWSL championship in 2017. He was named NWSL Coach of the Year in 2016.
“When you can connect with the person, you then have a chance of supporting their development as a player to reach the best version of themselves,” Parsons said in a statement. “By investing in and supporting individuals, you’re enabling their growth and creating a chance to build a special team.”
Parsons replaces Coach Kris Ward, who was fired in August with six games left in the season. A 1-6-9 record and an undisclosed incident during practice were cited for his dismissal. The team reported the incident to the league and the players’ association.
“After an extensive search process, we are confident that Mark’s experience and accomplishments are what we need as we continue to rebuild this club,” said Mark Krikorian, Spirit president of soccer operations.
SCOTLAND: Scottish club Rangers fired Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst after a year in charge, saying the team’s recent run of form has “not met expectations.”
The Dutch coach, who is a former Rangers player, was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor a year ago and led the club to the Europa League final and a first Scottish Cup triumph in 13 years at the end of his first season in charge.
However, he has paid the price for a poor start to the current season in which Rangers lost every game in the Champions League group stage and fell nine points adrift of city rival Celtic at the top of the Scottish league.
“The board would like to put on record sincere thanks to Gio for all his efforts since his appointment as manager.
“Unfortunately, results and performances over recent months haven’t met expectations and the decision was made today by the board to terminate the contract of the manager,” Rangers said in a statement. “The search for the new manager is now underway.”
Rangers has just over three weeks to find a successor for Van Bronckhorst, with the team’s first match after the World Cup break at home against Hibernian on Dec. 15.
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