The Indiana Fever announced the firing of coach Christie Sides on Sunday.
During her two seasons with the team, Sides had a record of 33-47, with a 20-20 record this season. The Fever made the playoffs as the sixth seed but were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
Indiana is one of six teams to make a coaching change this offseason, along with Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles. All the coaches who were let go had three years of experience or less.
The next coach of the Fever will inherit a young and talented core group, including players like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who have both won the past two WNBA Rookie of the Year awards.
“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for leading us through a crucial transitional period over the last two seasons,” said Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf. “It is imperative that we continue to pursue our goals, including bringing another WNBA championship to Indiana. Coach Sides represented the Fever and our community with great pride, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Krauskopf returned to the Fever earlier this month after working with the Indiana Pacers.
Sides, who previously worked as an assistant with Chicago, Indiana, and Atlanta before becoming head coach, had two years remaining on her contract.
The Fever have struggled to retain a head coach for more than three years since Lin Dunn, who coached from 2008-2014. Since then, they’ve had Stephanie White (2015-2016), Pokey Chatman (2017-2019), and Marianne Stanley (2020-2022).
Indiana faced a tough start to the season, losing eight of their first nine games. However, they bounced back after the Olympic break, winning seven of eight to put themselves in playoff contention.
Originally Published: October 27, 2024 at 5:44 p.m.
