The Indiana Fever’s head coaching carousel has turned once again, and this time, rookie sensation Caitlin Clark’s magnetic star power might have played a part in the spin. Coach Christie Sides, who led the Fever to their first playoff berth in forever (okay, since 2016, but it feels like forever), was given the boot after just two seasons. Was it a coaching shortfall? Or was it the whirlwind known as “Caitlin Clark Mania” that sealed her fate?
Sides’ exit was wrapped in corporate-speak by Fever president Kelly Krauskopf, who dished out a classic “it’s not you, it’s us” statement. According to Krauskopf, the Fever simply needed to be “bold and assertive” in their pursuit of another WNBA championship. Translation: “You did great, but we’re swinging for the fences, and you’re not the home run we had in mind.”
Enter Stephanie White, a former coach of the Connecticut Sun, now tasked with bringing a shiny new era to the Fever. But the real tea comes from WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, who offered a very different explanation for why Sides might have been shown the door.
During her podcast, “Levels to This,” Swoopes claimed the media frenzy around rookie Caitlin Clark might have made coaching an impossible task. “I think Christie did as good a job as anyone could have… managing all the craziness, all the Caitlin mania, all the hype, all the media,” said Swoopes, clearly sympathizing with a coach who had to steer a ship with a rookie megastar at the helm—and a tsunami of attention crashing into the deck.
And let’s be real: Caitlin Clark was no ordinary rookie. She averaged 19.1 points and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game, helping the Fever not only snag a playoff spot but also turning them into the hot ticket of the WNBA. With Clark on the court, the Fever went from forgettable to must-see-TV. Arena attendance surged 94% in May alone! Fever games were suddenly packed, and every single move Clark made was dissected, debated, and, let’s face it, overhyped.
But all that glitter comes with some grime. According to Swoopes, Clark’s superstar status may have ruffled feathers in the locker room. “There’s a lot of other s*** going on,” she hinted on an earlier episode of Gil’s Arena, suggesting not every player was thrilled with living in Clark’s shadow. You can almost imagine some veteran Fever players thinking, “Wait, I’ve been here busting my butt for years, and now we’re all about her?”
Sides managed to guide the Fever through this drama-filled rookie season, even squeezing a playoff berth out of the chaos. But was that enough? Clearly not in the eyes of the Fever’s front office. So, now it’s Stephanie White’s turn to see if she can handle the Caitlin Clark whirlwind without getting swept away.
As Swoopes pointed out, this wasn’t just about X’s and O’s—it was about managing expectations, egos, and the kind of media frenzy that can make a coach’s job feel more like lion-taming than basketball. And while Clark’s dazzling play might be a dream for fans, it’s a whole different ballgame for a coach trying to keep the rest of the team happy.
So, was Christie Sides a victim of Caitlin Clark mania? Maybe. One thing’s for sure, though—Clark’s talent has made her the centerpiece of the Fever’s future, and she’s cast a long shadow. Here’s hoping Stephanie White packed some sunscreen.
