Sides led the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016

The Indiana Fever have parted ways with coach Christie Sides after two seasons, the team announced on Sunday. Sides, who was hired ahead of the 2023 season, went 33-47 during her time in Indianapolis and led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016 last season.

Despite that accomplishment, the organization decided to go in a different direction. Moving on from Sides completes a total overhaul of the basketball brain trust. Earlier in the offseason, the Fever hired Amber Cox as the chief operating officer and general manager and brought Kelly Krauskopf — the team’s original president and general manager from 2000-18 — back as the president of basketball and business operations.

“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons, while also positioning us well for future growth,” Krauskopf said in a statement Sunday.

“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which includes maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana. Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future.”

From 2017-2022, the Fever went 45-147, won double-digit games just once and finished in last place three times. Sides was brought in to help get the proud franchise back on track, and did just that. They won more games in her first season (13) than they did in 2021 and 2022 combined (11) and she led them to the playoffs in her sophomore campaign despite a 2-9 start that was heavily influenced by a brutal schedule.

It was notable, though, that when Krauskopf was asked about Sides during her introductory press conference earlier this month, she only praised her as a person and a leader, and did not mention anything about actual basketball. That seemed to be a tell that Krauskopf, who, it must be noted, did not hire Sides, was not overly impressed with her Xs and Os.

Indeed, we now know that the new Fever brass was not convinced that Sides was the coach to lead them forward into a new era with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the last two Rookie of the Year winners and the best young duo in the league. With those franchise cornerstones in place, the Fever have achieved a level of stability and need a coach who can elevate them into a championship level team in the coming years.

The Fever are the sixth team to make a coaching change this offseason and will immediately commence a search for a new leader on the sidelines.

Stephanie White, the current Connecticut Sun coach and former Fever coach and player, is a name to watch. The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this month that White has been in contact with multiple teams, including the Fever. White has a deep connection to the state of Indiana that goes beyond her time with the Fever. She was Indiana’s Miss Basketball in 1995 and led Purdue to their first and only national championship in 1999.