Indiana Fever Fire coach Christy Sides after 2 seasons

The Indiana Fever have become the latest WNBA franchise to undergo a coaching change, with coach Christy Sides parting ways after two seasons in the role, the team announced Sunday.

The move comes after a season in which Indiana — led by a star trio of Caitlin Clark, Aaliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell — posted a 20-20 record and made its first playoff appearance since 2016. The Fever lost in the first round to Connecticut the sun

“We are incredibly grateful to have accepted the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the past two seasons,” said Kelly Krauskopf, Fever president of basketball operations, in a statement. “While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and steadfast in our pursuit of our goals, which include maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana.

“Coach Sides has been an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish him nothing but success in the future.”

Sides went 33-47 (.413) during the regular season in her two campaigns with Indiana, helping develop WNBA Rookies of the Year Boston (2023) and Clark (2024).

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, Clark's record-setting ways from his collegiate days at Iowa continued in the pro ranks last season. She set multiple WNBA records, including most assists in a season, most assists in a game and most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a season, among other accomplishments. Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game during the regular season, making the WNBA All-Star team and the All-WNBA First Team as a rookie.

Sides joined the Fever as head coach in 2022 after serving as a longtime assistant at the WNBA and collegiate level, where he also held the role of associate head-coach. In August, she became the first coach in Indiana history to be named WNBA Coach of the Month.

The side's firing comes amid a wider leadership change amid the fever. After the season, Indiana brought Krauskopf back to oversee the Fever's basketball operations after serving as assistant general manager of the NBA's Indiana Pacers.

At Krauskopf's introductory press conference, he said he was impressed by Sides, adding that the coach was a culture-builder who guided the team to a strong finish to its season. Indiana started 2024 2-9 but was 9-5 after the Olympic break.

However, the decision to part ways with Sides was made anyway, and it comes after the Fever reportedly had recent conversations with current Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White about the same role, while Sides was still on staff.

Krauskopf and White are familiar with each other, as White played for the Fever from 2000 to 2004, was an assistant coach from 2011 to 2014, and later coached the Fever in 2015 and 2016. White appears to be the likely front-runner to return. If he can get out of his contract with the Suns, then to the franchise.

Indiana's decision to let teams go is also significant because it now means six coaches have been fired this offseason. Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Washington are also trying to hire a new head coach. So far, the only franchise to hire a new head coach this fall is the incoming expansion franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, which brought in former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase as the team's first head coach.

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(Photo: Greg Fume/Getty Images)