The Indiana Fever has given Christie Sides the boot following a 20-20 season and an early exit from the playoffs.
Sides leaves with a 33-47 record from her two seasons at the helm, despite overseeing a record-breaking rookie season for No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark.
However, the star point guard is bracing for change in her second year in the WNBA as Indiana ushers in a new coach.
“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons, while also positioning us well for future growth,” expressed Kelly Krauskopf, Fever’s president of basketball operations.
“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which include maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana.
“Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future.”
Sides’ departure comes as a shock considering the Fever’s dramatic improvement as the season unfolded, bouncing back from a 1-8 start to clinch a. 500 record and third place in the Eastern Conference.
This impressive run saw Sides named the WNBA Coach of the Month for August, becoming the first coach in franchise history to bag the honour.
However, the Fever were outclassed in the playoffs, succumbing to a decisive two-game sweep by the Connecticut Sun.
The successor to Sides will be gifted with a skilled young team, spearheaded by All-WNBA point guard Clark and the promising second-year talent Aliyah Boston.
Sun’s head coach Stephanie White has unexpectedly become a potential candidate for the next head coach in Indiana. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, White has been in discussions with both the Fever and the Chicago Sky about stepping in for the upcoming season.
Despite being under contract until 2025, the opportunity to coach a young superstar like Clark might be too tempting to resist.
