The Indiana Fever announced on Sunday that they have dismissed coach Christie Sides. In her two seasons with the team, Sides managed a record of 33-47, including a 20-20 finish this season. The Fever secured a playoff spot as the sixth seed, marking their first postseason appearance since 2016, but were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
The new coach will inherit a team with a promising young core, spearheaded by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who have won the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year awards. Kelly Krauskopf, the Fever's president of basketball operations, expressed gratitude towards Sides for her leadership during a critical transition period.
Krauskopf stated, “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. Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future.”
Krauskopf returned to the Fever earlier this month after a stint with the Indiana Pacers. Sides had a lengthy career as an assistant coach in the league, working with Chicago (2011-16), the Fever (2017-19), and Atlanta (2022) before being promoted to head coach. The Fever faced a challenging start to the season, losing eight of their first nine games, but rallied after the Olympic break, winning seven of eight to secure a playoff berth.
Indiana joins Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles as the sixth team to make a coaching change this offseason. All the coaches let go had three years or less of experience.
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