Oct. 19, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville – Don’t expect to catch Stephanie White napping in her office at Memorial Gymnasium. The new Vanderbilt women’s basketball coach is much more likely to stay on the move during her workday.
“I don’t do well with down time,” White said. “Down time is not my friend. I’m all about energy and adrenaline.”
Perhaps it’s no surprise that energy is the foundation of White’s coaching style on the basketball court. Now a fast-paced mentality is set to define the new era of Vanderbilt women’s basketball, as well. And as the Commodores head to SEC Media Days on Thursday, they are locked in to their coach’s fresh direction. “It’s really different,” redshirt junior guard Rebekah Dahlman said, “but it’s a good change for us.”
Commodore fans had become used to former coach Melanie Balcolmb’s grind-it-out, half-court style, but that approach also didn’t translate to many wins in recent years. The Commodores finished 5-11 in the SEC during an 18-14 campaign in 2015-16. It was the second straight season in which Vanderbilt had won just five conference games, and Balcolmb departed Nashville on the heels of three straight sub-.500 records in SEC play.
When White arrived at Vanderbilt, she saw an opportunity to reverse that trajectory by mimicking the faced-pace style of the WNBA. White led the Indiana Fever to back-to-back playoff appearances as a head coach during the past two seasons, reaching the WNBA Finals as a rookie head coach back in 2015. Along the way she recognized speed and aggression as an asset in the game of basketball.
Now White hopes a faster pace pays off against SEC competition, even if the installation isn’t an overnight process. “I’m not going to expect this team to be the Indiana Fever,” White said. “It’s just not the same type of players. But we want the mentality that we’re going to score first. We’re going to get a layup first. We’re not walking the ball up the floor, we’re not picking up players at half-court.”
The Commodores have already gotten used to White’s tactics. Her practices routinely feature fast transitions and an 18-second shot clock to emphasize quick possessions. “We’re playing 94 feet, defense and offense, running and gunning,” junior guard Rachel Bell said. “No team should be in better shape than we are, that’s for sure.”
VIDEO: WHITE, COMMODORES MEET THE MEDIA
Even before White finally arrived at Vanderbilt full-time following the Fever’s most recent playoff run, the coach’s staff worked to implement tempo in summer workouts. Associate coach Carolyn Peck – White’s former head coach at Purdue – led the charge until White officially landed in Nashville in September. Along with assistant coaches Joy Cheek and Kelly Komara, Peck helped install a foundation of energy into practice. That approach only solidified when White got to campus.
“Our coaching staff, it’s crazy,” Dahlman said. “Everyday they come in with so much energy.”
That renewed enthusiasm has Vanderbilt — picked ninth in the SEC in the preseason — convinced it can surprise the rest of the league in 2016-17. Along with Bell and Dahlman, who combined to score 17.6 points per game a year ago, the Commodores bring back a number of key veterans. Senior forward Marqu’es Webb is a vocal leader who paced the team in rebounds (183) and blocked shots (16) last season. Junior guard Christa Reed, meanwhile, was the ‘Dores’ leading scorer (11.6 points per game) and shot an impressive 42.9% from three-point range.
White also inherits a five-player freshman class considered to be the program’s highest-rated in history. That group includes LeaLea Carter, a stat-stuffing guard from nearby Dickson, Tenn. rated as a top-10 prospect nationally by some recruiting services. Now White is tasked with merging old and new faces in Vanderbilt’s locker room, all of whom must learn the same new system. That’s why White noted baby steps as a virtue for Commodore fans this season
“There are probably going to be days where we take a step backward, and that’s normal,” White said. “But we’re totally changing the identity of our team. We’re totally changing the way we play. So for the returners, that’s a changing mentality, and it’s hard.
“I can guarantee you you’re going to see a different team in January than you see on Oct. 30,” White continued. “I can guarantee you that you’ll see a different team in March than you’ll see in January, and that’s our goal.”
White will get a first taste of Vanderbilt’s potential when it kicks off its season with an exhibition matchup against Bellarmine on Sunday, Oct. 30. Just how far the Commodores go in the SEC remains to be seen. But those who have bought into White’s message can’t wait to tip things off.
“I keep telling people, this is going to be something special,” Dahlman said. “We could go down in history. This is going to be a special year for all of us.”