In a move that could only be described as “We’re not crying, you are,” the Indiana Fever has decided that a playoff berth, a record-breaking season, and a once-in-a-lifetime rookie performance just weren’t enough. Coach Christie Sides? Gone. Out. Kaput.
Despite leading the Fever to their first playoff appearance since Barack Obama was in the White House and overseeing Caitlin Clark’s jaw-dropping rookie season, Sides was shown the door. To add salt to the wound—or maybe it’s glitter, given the Fever’s glitzy 2024 season—the Fever smashed WNBA attendance records, packing 340,715 fans into their arena, most of them probably there to see the basketball wizardry of Clark.
But hey, what’s a little record-breaking action when you get bounced from the playoffs in the first round? After all, who needs a coach who’s just brought in the biggest crowd in WNBA history, right?
The Fever, who posted a 20-20 record this season (which in sports talk is basically saying, “we’re not bad, but we’re not good enough for a parade”), lost in a playoff sweep to the Connecticut Sun. It seems that wasn’t enough to shine a light on Sides’ future, and now the team has decided to go all-in on yet another rebuild. That’s right folks, a new COO, new GM, new president of basketball operations—basically, it’s a whole new regime coming to town. Maybe they’re hoping it’s like hitting the reset button on a video game after getting stuck on that one annoying level.
This move also means Sides joins a growing line of WNBA coaches who’ve been escorted off the stage this offseason. In fact, she’s the sixth coach to be fired this year. The WNBA: where job security is apparently as elusive as a buzzer-beater three-pointer from half-court.
But let’s not forget: In her first season, Sides also coached Aliyah Boston, who was rookie of the year. And now, with Caitlin Clark having her own historic season, it’s like Sides had some sort of magic touch for developing star rookies. Too bad the Fever’s front office seems allergic to keeping the magician around.
So what’s next for the Fever? A “bold and assertive” move, according to their official statement. We can only imagine what that means—perhaps they’ll bring in a coach who can simultaneously win games, sell popcorn, and somehow keep the team from getting swept in the first round of the playoffs.
At least for now, Fever fans can rest easy knowing their team still has Caitlin Clark, who will likely continue breaking records and ankles on the court. Maybe the next coach will just have to bring a crystal ball to figure out how to turn that kind of talent into a championship, because clearly, 2024’s historic season just didn’t cut it.