The Indiana Fever announced on Sunday that they have fired coach Christie Sides.
Sides had a record of 33 wins and 47 losses during her two seasons with the team, finishing this season at 20 wins and 20 losses. The Fever made it to the playoffs as the sixth seed but were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
With this decision, Indiana becomes the sixth team to change coaches this off season, following Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles. All the coaches let go had three years or less of experience.
The new coach will inherit a promising young team, highlighted by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who have won the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year awards.
“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,” said Kelly Krauskopf, president of basketball operations for the Fever.
“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which include 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.” Krauskopf returned to the Fever earlier this month after working with the Indiana Pacers.
Before becoming head coach, Sides was a long-time assistant in the league, working with Chicago (2011-2016), the Fever (2017-2019), and Atlanta (2022). She took over from Marianne Stanley and her interim successor, Carlos Knox, who coached in the 2022 season.
Sides had two years left on her contract.
The Fever have not had a head coach stay for more than three years since Lin Dunn, who coached from 2008 to 2014. After Dunn, the team had Stephanie White (2015-2016), Pokey Chatman (2017-2019), and Stanley (2020-2022).
Indiana faced a tough schedule at the start of the season and lost eight of their first nine games. However, they started to improve after the Olympic break, winning seven of eight games to enter playoff contention.
