The WNBA’s coaching carousel has reached another level in the 2024 offseason.
One week after the WNBA Finals ended, the Indiana Fever announced they parted ways with head coach Christie Sides. Sides is the sixth coach to be dismissed this offseason and there could be even more movement, meaning over half the league could start next season with a new head coach.
While openings in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Washington are appealing in their own right, Indiana’s job may be the most attractive because it comes with an opportunity to coach the league’s last two No. 1 overall picks and Rookies of the Year: Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Here are some options that make sense for the job.
MORE: Why the Fever fired Christie Sides after Caitlin Clark’s rookie season
Five best Fever coaching candidates to replace Christie Sides
Stephanie White
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Despite still being under contract as the head coach in Connecticut, White has been linked to the Fever long before Sides’ dismissal, including a recent report from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times.
White is an Indiana native who starred at Purdue, spent most of her playing career with the Fever and was already the franchise’s head coach in 2015 and 2016. The 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, White is one of the game’s best tacticians and gets the most out of her players, as evidenced by her work with the Sun.
Indiana has a young roster full of potential and White is the type of coach capable of getting the most out of everyone — from superstars to role players.
MORE: Victor Wembanyama pays Caitlin Clark the ultimate compliment
Curt Miller
Miller is an accomplished head coach in the WNBA. While he didn’t experience much success in Los Angeles the past two seasons, he was a favorite among his players, many of whom were stunned at his firing at the end of the season.
Before moving to LA, Miller coached the Sun for seven seasons, leading them to the playoffs each year and the Finals in 2019 and 2022. Miller’s name will be mentioned for several job openings and with good reason — he could lead the Fever to the next level, which is why the franchise is seeking new leadership.
As a bonus, Miller is familiar with the Hoosier State. He led the University of Indiana’s women’s team from 2012 to 2014 before resigning. There could be a reunion angle there, too.
MORE: Updated list of Caitlin Clark’s accolades after sterling rookie season
Jenny Boucek
Could the answer already be in the building?
Boucek isn’t on the Fever staff but is in her fourth season as an influential member of the Pacers staff. During her first three seasons with the Pacers, she established familiarity with Kelly Krauskopf, who left her post as the Pacers assistant GM to take over basketball operations with the Fever.
Boucek played in the WNBA, has six seasons of WNBA head coaching experience and is in her eighth season as an NBA assistant. That unique blend of experience and pre-existing familiarity makes her a nice candidate.
MORE: Learn more about Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek
Cheryl Miller
Miller feels like a long shot but perhaps her moment as the coach of the WNBA All-Star team in 2024 was a preview of things to come.
In addition to coaching Clark, Boston and Kelsey Mitchell during the All-Star Game, Miller is one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time and the older sister of Reggie Miller, one of the most iconic sports figures in Indiana history.
As for her coaching credentials, Miller coached USC for two seasons in the 1990s, coached the Phoenix Mercury from 1997 to 2000 and, most recently, coached Cal State Los Angeles from 2016 to 2019.
MORE: The next steps for Fever to build contender around Caitlin Clark
Lisa Bluder
Could it be? Bluder retired from her job as Iowa’s head coach following Clark’s senior season but maybe there’s a reunion in the works here. It’s no secret what those two mean to one another.
Bluder has denied any interest in getting back into coaching, so it seems highly unlikely, but it’s worth mentioning at the very least. Stranger things have happened.
