Christie Sides responds to Fever firing as successor rumors swirl

Christie Sides took nan precocious roadworthy aft being fired by nan Fever connected Sunday.

“Leave it amended than you recovered it.✌🏼,” she tweeted that afternoon.

The Fever only afforded Sides 2 seasons guiding nan franchise, including 1 play pinch 2024 No. 1 prime Caitlin Clark, before dismissing her Sunday.

As she mentioned successful her tweet, Sides did thief nan franchise improve.

The erstwhile Louisiana Tech prima inherited a 5-31 squad and helped Indiana to a 13-27 grounds successful 2023 and past to 20-20 this past season.

The Fever knowledgeable immoderate early increasing pains, but Clark and nan squad improved and rallied from a 1-8 commencement to return to nan playoffs for nan first clip since 2016.

The Sun swept sixth-seeded Indiana successful nan first information of nan playoffs.

Even arsenic Indiana showed growth, questions lingered astir whether Sides would beryllium nan 1 who could get nan astir retired of Clark and chap No. 1 prime Aliyah Boston.

The proverbial penning connected nan wall came successful nan shape of a caller study indicating nan Fever had been discussing their coaching job pinch Sun caput coach Stephanie White.

White is now nan favourite to beryllium Indiana’s adjacent coach, per nan Chicago Sun-Times.

Sides vanished 33-47 successful her tenure.

The Fever thanked Sides successful a statement.

“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing nan situation of starring america done an integral modulation play complete nan past 2 seasons, while besides positioning america good for early growth,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf in a statement.“While decisions for illustration these are ne'er easy, it is besides imperative that we stay bold and assertive successful nan pursuit of our goals, which includes maximizing our talent and bringing different WNBA title backmost to Indiana.

“Coach Sides was an unthinkable typical of nan Fever and our community, and we wish her thing but occurrence successful nan future.”

White — aliases whoever nan Fever take — will inherit an ascending squad with 15/1 odds to triumph nan WNBA title adjacent season, nan sixth-best likelihood successful nan league.