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The Indiana Fever announced the firing of coach Christie Sides on Sunday, marking a significant change for the organization. Sides finished her tenure with a record of 33-47 over two seasons, including a 20-20 record this past year. Under her leadership, the Fever secured the sixth seed in the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
With this decision, Indiana joins a growing list of teams that have made coaching changes this offseason, including Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles. Notably, all of these teams parted ways with coaches who had three years or less of experience.
In a statement, Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf expressed gratitude towards Sides, acknowledging her role in guiding the team through a critical transition period.
“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. 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," Krauskopf said.
Krauslopf's return
Krauskopf recently returned to the Fever after a stint with the Indiana Pacers. Sides, who had previously served as an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky, the Fever, and the Atlanta Dream, took over the head coaching position after Marianne Stanley and interim coach Carlos Knox, who led the team during the 2022 season. At the time of her firing, Sides still had two years remaining on her contract.
The Fever have struggled to maintain head coaches for longer than three years since Lin Dunn's tenure from 2008 to 2014. Since Dunn, the team has seen a succession of coaches, including Stephanie White, Pokey Chatman, and Stanley.
This past season, the Fever faced a challenging schedule, losing eight of their first nine games. However, they found their rhythm after the Olympic break, winning seven of their next eight games to secure playoff contention. The next head coach will inherit a promising young core, including Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who have both earned the WNBA Rookie of the Year award in the last two seasons.
