The Indiana Fever have officially parted ways with head coach Christie Sides, as confirmed by the organization on Sunday.
Sides, who steered the Fever for two seasons, concluded her tenure with a record of 33 wins against 47 losses. This past season saw the Fever finishing at a .500 mark with 20 wins and 20 losses, clinching the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs before being swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
This marks a significant transition for Indiana, as they become the sixth team to make a coaching change this offseason, joining ranks with the likes of Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles. Notably, all the coaches dismissed have held their positions for three years or fewer.
Looking ahead, the new head coach will inherit a promising young roster, highlighted by rising stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who have both been named WNBA Rookie of the Year in the past two seasons.
“We are genuinely grateful to Coach Sides for her dedication and for guiding us through a critical transitional phase over the last two years, all while setting a solid foundation for future growth,” said Kelly Krauskopf, Fever president of basketball operations. “While such decisions are never straightforward, we must stay bold and focused on our objectives, which include maximizing our talent pool and ultimately bringing another WNBA championship to Indiana. Coach Sides represented the Fever and our community with great dignity, and we wish her every success in her future endeavors.”
Krauskopf returned to the Fever earlier this month after a tenure with the Indiana Pacers.
Prior to her head coaching role, Sides served as an assistant in the league for several years, with stints at Chicago (2011-2016), the Fever (2017-2019), and Atlanta (2022), successfully taking over after the departures of Marianne Stanley and her interim successor, Carlos Knox.
Despite having two years remaining on her contract, Sides’ exit reflects a trend for the Fever, as no head coach has remained in the position for over three years since Lin Dunn’s era from 2008 to 2014. Following Dunn, the Fever have cycled through Stephanie White (2015-2016), Pokey Chatman (2017-2019), and Stanley (2020-2022).
It’s worth noting that the Fever faced a daunting start to the season, suffering defeats in eight of their first nine games. However, the team managed to turn their fortunes around following the Olympic break, winning seven of eight outings to revive their playoff hopes.
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