The Indiana Fever parted ways with coach Christie Sides on Sunday after his two seasons in charge. Sides has an overall record of 33-47, including a 20-20 season this year that snapped the Fever’s seven-year playoff drought. But why did Indiana fire Caitlin Clark’s rookie season coach?
The Fever made the announcement on Sunday morning, with team’s president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf expressing her gratitude to Sides. She called the decision a hard one to make, but the franchise wanted to give itself the best shot at winning a WNBA championship.
“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,” Krauskopf said in a statement.
“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which includes 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.”
Christie Sides had a lot of critics after the Indiana Fever started the season 1-8 and fans were calling for her to get dismissed. Some even pointed out how Sides was having trouble maximizing Caitlin Clark’s skills, which made her the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
As the season went on, the Fever became one of the best teams in the league and even made the playoffs as the sixth seed. They faced the Connecticut Sun in the first round and were swept after just two games.
The Fever job was Sides’ first tenure as a head coach anywhere, after serving as a longtime assistant in the WNBA for the Chicago Sky, Fever and Atlanta Dream. She was also an assistant at Northwestern and Louisiana–Monroe.
But why did Indiana fire Sides after a successful season? Let’s look at the possible reasons.
New front office means a fresh start
The Indiana Fever made some changes to the front office this offseason, so it could have played a part in Christie Sides’ dismissal. The Fever replaced outgoing team president Allison Barber with Kelly Krauskopf.
Krauskopf is a familiar face for the franchise, serving as the general manager from 2000 to 2017. She moved on to Pacers Gaming as an executive before being promoted to assistant general manager of the Indiana Pacers.
Amber Cox was also named as the new general manager and COO of the Fever. Lin Dunn will remain with the team, but as an advisor. Sides was not hired by Krauskopf and Cox, so they are probably looking for someone who shares the same vision as theirs.
Kelly Krauskopf even praised Christie Sides during her introductory press conference earlier this month, but it was not enough to save her job.
Better coaching options available compared to Christie Sides
While Christie Sides had a great 2024 season, there were still some critics of her coaching. The LA Sparks already made the coaching pool bigger after firing Curt Miller, who was a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year. Miller could be a good hire for the Indiana Fever, although there’s another name linked with the team.
According to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, Stephanie White is considering her future with the Connecticut Sun. Costabile reported that the Sun are still in a position to retain her, although the Chicago Sky and Fever are interested in her.
The Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon after one season, and now the Fever have no coach after parting ways with Sides. White has a connection to Indiana, where she served as a player for five years, an assistant for four and the head coach from 2015 to 2016.
Another potential option is former Iowa coach Lisa Blunder, who knows a thing or two about maximizing Caitlin Clark’s skillset. Blunder helped the Hawkeyes reach back-to-back NCAA championship games without a proper roster around Clark.
Imagine what she can do with a talented squad playing alongside the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Coaching vacancies around the league made it easier for the Fever
Another theory about why the Fever fired Christie Sides is the number of vacancies around the league. The LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics are all looking for a new coach.
Sides might not be a fit in Indiana, but she could be in one of those five teams. There won’t be a lot of pressure on her in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas and Washington. Chicago is a familiar place for her and she could be the one they are looking for to help star forward Angel Reese.
It will be interesting to see if Christie Sides gets another opportunity to take charge of a WNBA team without the pressure of winning a championship.
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