The Indiana Fever’s coaching carousel just keeps on spinning, and this time, Christie Sides is the one tossed off the ride. After two seasons at the helm, Sides finds herself without a job, despite signing a four-year deal with the franchise. Yep, you read that right—she didn’t even make it halfway through her contract. But when you finish with a 33-47 record, you better start packing boxes.
Sides stepped in to replace the short-lived reigns of Marianne Stanley and Carlos Knox, hoping to revive a franchise that hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2016. Well, spoiler alert: she did kind of pull that off, thanks to some help from a little known player named Caitlin Clark—the 2024 WNBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick who practically dragged the Fever to the postseason by sheer force of will. Despite starting the season with an embarrassing 1-9 record, the Fever managed to turn things around and clinch a playoff spot. Playoff Fever, baby! Except, not for long.
Like the plot of a bad rom-com, the Fever’s Cinderella playoff run ended almost as soon as it began. Swept away in the first round by the Connecticut Sun, Sides’ squad left the dance before anyone could grab the glass slipper. Of course, it didn’t help that Sides waited forever to make some pretty basic adjustments.
Let’s talk tactics. Sides’ biggest problem? She seemed to think coaching was a “set it and forget it” deal. Too often, she took way too long to adapt during games, which turned many winnable matchups into gut-wrenching losses. Take Katie Lou Samuelson, for example. Sides stuck with her in the starting lineup for 15 games, even though it was about as effective as bringing a spoon to a knife fight. The delay in swapping her out cost the team crucial wins.
Oh, and NaLyssa Smith? Yeah, she was getting minutes when matchups screamed for a change. The Sun chewed up the Fever and spit them out, while Sides sat there like she’d just opened her syllabus and realized the final was tomorrow. Tami Fagbenle, who could’ve been a better option, was left watching from the bench as Smith struggled against bad matchups. If there were ever a coach stubborn enough to challenge a brick wall to a staring contest, it was Christie Sides.
It wasn’t all bad though. After the Olympic break, Sides decided to finally push the pace on offense, and the Fever started looking like a real team for a change. But it was too little, too late. A couple of early adjustments might have saved her season, but instead, Sides watched as games slipped away, and eventually, so did her job.
After news of her firing broke, Sides hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to share her thoughts, posting: “Leave it better than you found it. ✌🏼” Sure, it’s a nice sentiment, but we’re not exactly sure Fever fans will agree. Better? Maybe. But was it good enough?
Now that Sides is out, the question is, who’s next? The Dallas Wings also showed Latricia Trammel the door after two seasons, and Connecticut Sun’s coach Stephanie White may have one foot out the door as well. Either way, the Fever have a decision to make, and fast—because as much as they love flipping coaches, it’s time for them to find someone who can stick around long enough to make a real difference.
Will they ever find the right coach, or are the Fever doomed to repeat history like some tragic sitcom reboot? Only time will tell, but until then, let’s hope whoever steps in knows how to adjust before it’s too late
