Women's Fastbreak On SI

Caitlin Clark Asserts Fever's Christie Sides Firing Goes Beyond Her Job Description

Caitlin Clark was very clear when addressing whether she played a hand in the Indiana Fever firing Christie Sides.
Grant Young|
Jun 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides with guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Phoenix Mercury during a WNBA game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jun 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides with guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Phoenix Mercury during a WNBA game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On October 27, the Indiana Fever announced that they had parted ways with former head coach Christie Sides.

This decision came as a shock at the time, given that the Fever had just advanced to their first WNBA playoffs appearance since 2016 and Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf offered Sides a lot of praise soon after the season ended.

Yet, there were already rumors that the Fever were trying to clear the way to sign Stephanie White as their new head coach — which is exactly what ended up happening.

One of the most common questions among Fever fans during the 2024 season was whether Sides and franchise superstar Caitlin Clark had a good relationship. And if not, whether Clark's input ultimately played a role in Indiana's electing to fire Sides.

Clark addressed this sentiment directly as part of her December 10 feature article after being named Time 2024 Athlete of the Year.

"Over carnitas and fish tacos, we talk about their new head coach, Stephanie White, who had been hired three days earlier. Indiana had dismissed Sides in October; management wanted a coach with more playoff experience. White, a former Fever player, coached the Sun the past two seasons and led Indiana to the WNBA Finals as head coach in 2015," Time writer Sean Gregory wrote.

"Clark insists she had nothing to do with the change. 'I’m actually not the general manager of the team,' she says.

"'Believe it or not!' adds [Indiana Fever player] Hull." 

So there you have it: Clark claims she had nothing to do with Sides' firing.

Although it's hard to imagine she's upset about now having White as her head coach.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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