Will the Fever firing Christie Sides backfire and stunt Caitlin Clark’s development?

The Indiana Fever chose to move on from their head coach, Christie Sides, after just two seasons in the role. The decision came following the Fever’s first post-season trip since 2016, but will the move backfire by stunting superstar Caitlin Clark’s development? Some in the media seem to think so.

ESPN analyst Elle Duncan is concerned that, “you're stunting their (Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston’s) potential development or growth, or at least delaying it, by bringing in a new regime.”

Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark have played a combined three WNBA seasons between them and will already be working with a new head coach come 2025. If we include their college careers, that is a huge amount of change for young players to deal with.

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Elle Duncan also pointed out the Fever started to, “catch fire towards the end of last year,” as Indiana made the playoffs despite a difficult start to the season. Perhaps Christie Sides had found a formula that worked?

The first goal for every WNBA team is to make the playoffs, something the Fever had struggled to do in recent times. So now, after finally making the postseason after eight years on the outside, to let go of your coach, is a bold move.

While Christie Sides was the woman in charge during the season, it’s arguably fair to question how much influence she had in lifting the Fever to the playoffs. Perhaps that is the view of those in charge, who didn’t see her coaching as elevating the team.

While the decision to fire Sides has led to some questions about the Fever’s leadership, rumors that the replacement coach will be Stephanie White should put any worries to bed.

Grant Young, writing for Women’s Fastbreak by Sports Illustrated, described White as, “one of the league's most respected coaches,” which should certainly be encouraging for Fever fans.

With the news of White’s potential appointment doing the rounds, several users on X (formerly Twitter) have dug up old footage and statistics of White playing Christie Sides during their college careers. White’s number one seed Purdue thrashed Sides’ Louisiana Tech 77-63 in 1999 en route to a National Championship ring.

Do you think letting go of Christie Sides is the right decision for the Fever, or do you think her late-season turnaround showed she was deserving of more time in the role?

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