Following her departure from the Indiana Fever in October, coach Christie Sides made her first public appearance, sharing a post on her Instagram Stories about a night out in New Orleans. A Louisiana native, Sides was Caitlin Clark’s first coach in the WNBA.
Sides, with a bright smile, seemed to be enjoying time with friends and captioned her post:
“NOLA NIGHTS 😍.”
Sides served as head coach of the Fever for two years, achieving a 33-47 (.413) regular-season record. She played a crucial role in leading the team to their first postseason appearance since 2016 last season.
During her time, Sides was instrumental in developing back-to-back WNBA Rookies of the Year, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. She also made history as the first coach in franchise history to receive WNBA Coach of the Month honors in August 2024.
Upon announcing her departure, Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf acknowledged Sides’ contributions, stating:
“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.”
Following the news of her termination, Sides tweeted:
“Leave it better than you found it.✌🏼
The Fever then hired Stephanie White, a former Connecticut Sun coach. White has strong connections to Indiana as a West Lebanon native and Purdue alumna who previously played for and coached the Fever.
Caitlin Clark denies involvement in Christie Sides’s firing and Stephanie White’s hiring
Speculation arose suggesting that Caitlin Clark’s dissatisfaction with Sides influenced the coaching change, as star players often have a significant impact on team decisions.
However, Clark refuted these claims in her TIME Athlete of the Year feature, saying:
“I’m actually not the general manager of the team.”
White, now Clark’s new coach, joined the Fever in 1999 after her rookie season with the Charlotte Sting, playing five seasons before transitioning to coaching. She was part of the Fever’s coaching staff from 2011 to 2016, progressing from assistant coach (2011-2014) to head coach (2015-2016).
During her tenure, she helped the team secure the 2012 WNBA championship and reach the Finals in 2015.
In her introductory press conference as the Fever’s head coach in November, White expressed her enthusiasm about working with young talents like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, stating:
“These two are the best — there’s so many things that they do well right now… but there’s so much room for growth,” White said (per SB Nation).
“When you think about the great point guards and post players that our game — not just our league — but our game has seen, they’re going to go down as the greatest.”
The Fever are aiming to improve upon their first-round exit in the 2024 season.
Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
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