The Indiana Fever have fired head coach Christie Sides after two seasons, the crew announced Sunday.
Sides led the Fever to a sixth-place end within the 2024 common season, incomes the crew’s first playoff look in eight seasons, however the Fever had been swept by the Connecticut Solar within the first spherical.
In a statement, Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf referred to as Sides “an unimaginable consultant of the Fever and our group.”
“We’re extremely grateful to Coach Sides for embracing the problem of main us by an integral transition interval during the last two seasons, whereas additionally positioning us nicely for future development,” Krauskopf stated within the assertion. “Whereas selections like these are by no means straightforward, it’s also crucial that we stay daring and assertive within the pursuit of our objectives, which incorporates maximizing our expertise and bringing one other WNBA championship again to Indiana.”
Sides didn’t share an official assertion within the Fever’s press launch, however did take to X to share a considerably cryptic parting message.
“Depart it higher than you discovered it,” she wrote.
Depart it higher than you discovered it.✌🏼
— Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) October 27, 2024
The Fever initially received off to a sluggish begin, going 1-8 in Might. However the crew ultimately completed the season with a 20-20 report and the long-awaited postseason berth, buoyed by the trio of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.
Indiana will now begin subsequent season with a wholly new entrance workplace: Krauskopf was hired as president in September, whereas the crew hired Amber Cox as chief working officer and common supervisor earlier this month. The Fever will now must discover a new head coach as nicely earlier than the beginning of the 2025 season.
Sides’ ouster marks the sixth head-coaching transfer this offseason. Earlier this week, the Washington Mystics fired GM Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault after the crew missed the playoffs, whereas the Dallas Wings fired Latricia Trammell final week after the crew completed second to final within the regular-season standings. The Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream even have teaching vacancies after parting methods with Curt Miller, Teresa Weatherspoon and Tanisha Wright, respectively.
