Fever Coach Stephanie White Speaks Honestly After Trusted Veteran Plays 0 Minutes Against Sky

Fever Coach Stephanie White Speaks Honestly After Trusted Veteran Plays 0 Minutes Against Sky originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Indiana Fever made a roster move on Friday amid Caitlin Clark's extended injury absence. They signed forward Chloe Bibby on a seven-day contract.

The 27-year-old made her Fever debut in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Sky and responded with eight points, two rebounds, a block and two 3-pointers in 11 minutes off the bench.

Also getting an extended run against the Sky was rookie Makayla Timpson, who logged a career-high 22 minutes of action in Indiana’s 93-78 win over Chicago. The 6-foot-2 forward-center scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, four rebounds and three steals in what was her best game with the Fever.

Damiris Dantas Benched Against Sky

The shift in rotation meant fewer minutes for veteran center Damiris Dantas. In fact, the 32-year-old center did not play in Sunday’s win. This marked the second time this season Dantas logged zero minutes for an entire game.

Fever coach Stephanie White was asked about this decision in her postgame press conference. The veteran coach was honest in her response.

"More than anything, they were playing zone," White said. "Bringing in Chloe early and having four shooters around (Aliyah Boston) was important.

“(Timpson), it was going with her early just to see what she could give us on the defensive end. I felt like they got too many easy looks. (Timpson's) versatility allows us to play her defensively in a different way than we can play (Dantas).

"And they had it rolling in the first half, and so we just stayed with that eight or nine (players in the rotation) or however many they were."

What Does This Mean for Dantas?

It is worth noting that Dantas had been trending downward even before she was benched on Sunday. In the two contests preceding the Sky matchup, the veteran had played nine and two minutes, respectively.  

Prior to this recent drop in minutes, Dantas was a trusted rotation player for coach White. The Brazilian averaged 13.1 minutes off the bench in 18 games played, putting up 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest.

Based on White’s comments, it appears the decision to bench Dantas against the Sky was more situational move than predetermined plan. It will be interesting to see if Dantas logs any minutes on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury.

Bibby’s situation is also worth monitoring in terms of what the immediate future holds for Dantas. The Fever could potentially extend Bibby’s seven-day deal, especially if she continues making as significant an impact as she did in the Sky game.  

Related: "I Said What I Said": Sophie Cunningham Isn’t Backing Down After Fever Take Down Sky

Related: Fever Star Aliyah Boston Rewrites WNBA History Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury

Related: Fever Star Caitlin Clark Loses Exclusive Spot in WNBA History Books on Monday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.