INDIANAPOLIS — By firing coach Christie Sides two years into her four-year deal over the weekend, the Indiana Fever showed it was not willing to follow the long-term plan it had mapped out to rebuild the franchise.
As is so often the case with most professional teams, someone in charge in the administration runs out of faith and patience before the agreed-upon program runs its course.
By firing Sides, a long-time league assistant, from her first head coaching gig in the WNBA, the Fever either has someone lined up already, or will be seeking a coach not necessarily on the radar, to lead the growth of a club that will be led on the court by rookie-of-the-year guard Caitlin Clark.
Freedman
Sides was a casualty, despite leading the Fever to a 20-20 record after a burdensome schedule that produced a 1-8 start in 2024, yet she still guided the team to its first playoff appearance since 2016.
In her first season, with then rookie-of-the-year Aliyah Boston in the lineup, Sides’ Fever finished 13-27. That put the team into the league’s draft lottery for the second year in a row, and with Las Vegas-style luck they drew the first choice and obtained Clark.
The Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun in two straight games of a best-of-five playoff series with both games played on the road. It is unlikely Indiana would have picked off a victory in one of those games, and even less likely they would have won the series, even if Red Auerbach had been coaching.
Along the way, Sides was heavily criticized for her coaching moves by a chorus of social media gripers, so much that it was difficult to sort out the legitimate voices from the extremists. It was an outlier of negativity in what otherwise should have been seen as a triumphant season based on the spectacular fan turnouts at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and huge numbers of people buy team gear and watching the Fever play on television.
Then the entire front office was revamped with general manager Lin Dunn stepping aside to become a senior advisor and president Alison Barber leaving the organization for another position. That transition probably hurt Sides.
This was what the Fever had to stay in releasing Sides: “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,” said Fever president Kelly Krauskopf.
All the good stuff was attributed to the so-called Caitlin Clark Effect, as the all-time NCAA scoring leader established herself in the pro game.
Sides’ job was to improve the team’s record, blend the talents of young players, nurture Clark into a professional leader and lift the Fever into the playoffs. She accomplished all of those things – and got fired anyway.
The WNBA has experienced an epidemic of discharged coaches in recent weeks with there now being vacancies at six of the 12 teams which played last summer.
Whoever Sides’ successor proves to be, that new coach will be facing some uncertain times. Judging from the determination that just making the playoffs wasn’t good enough, there will be more pressure to win more games, finish higher than sixth in the standings and contend for a title.
Yet there will be fresh issues facing such a coach. Shortly, the WNBA will conduct an expansion draft to help stock a new team that begins play in 2025, the Golden State Valkyries. That might change the roster.
Even more critically, All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell is a free agent. The Fever’s foundation for the 2024 season was built around Clark, Boston and Mitchell. She and Clark each averaged 19.2 points per game. There is no doubt retaining Mitchell, whatever it costs, must be the primary objective. If the Fever loses Mitchell, it will be a giant step backwards.
The Fever need more depth, especially in the frontcourt, and it is open-ended whether this changeover in administration will appease and aid forward NyLassa Smith, who felt slighted at becoming more or less a fourth option on offense. Plus, the draft will not guarantee an instant starter since Indiana will pick farther down in the pack.
What the Fever can offer a free agent looking for a new home is the opportunity to play in front of the most rabid crowds in the league and the chance to catch passes thrown by Clark, who led the WNBA in assists.
As for Clark, she will continue to improve, cut down on her turnovers, and sharpen her shooting accuracy. Caitlin Clark will always bring her A game. Will the franchise do the same for her?