Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides fired despite leading team to WNBA playoffs

The Indiana Fever have fired head coach Christie Sides after reaching the playoffs in Caitlin Clark’s rookie season.

Sides went 33-47 in her two seasons with the team, including 20-20 this season. The Fever made the playoffs as the sixth seed and were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round.

Sides responded to her departure with a short post on X saying, “Leave it better than you found it.”

Indiana is the sixth team to make a coaching change this season, with Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington also making moves.

The Fever have a young core led by Clark and Aliyah Boston, but have suffered from defensive inconsistency at times in 2024. Indiana ranked third in scoring and field goal percentage during the regular season, but was still outscored by nearly three points per night. .

“We are incredibly grateful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral period of transition over the past two seasons while positioning ourselves for future growth,” said Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf.

“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain courageous and assertive as we pursue our goals, including maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship 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 spending time with the Indiana Pacers.

Sides is hardly the first basketball coach to be fired after a brief stint working with the league’s most valuable young talent.

Kevin Loughery, Michael Jordan’s first coach with the Chicago Bulls, lasted just two seasons with His Airness.

Larry Bird won an NBA title with his first coach, Bill Fitch, who was nonetheless fired by the Boston Celtics after two years with the legendary small forward.

Similarly, Ervin “Magic” Johnson played for Jack McKinney and Paul Westhead en route to his first NBA title as a rookie, but Westhead was replaced by Pat Riley in his third season with Los Angeles.

Matt Guokas lasted only one season with Shaquille O’Neal in Orlando, while Del Harris was replaced by Kobe Bryant in Lakerland after just over two years.

The 47-year-old Sides, a native of Louisiana, previously served as an assistant with the Atlanta Dream and Chicago Scow, in addition to stints at the collegiate level.