Christie Sides shares immediate reaction to Fever firing

The Indiana Fever announced their decision to part ways with head coach Christie Sides on Sunday. The decision was fairly surprising following Indiana's playoff appearance. Indiana was expected to make some changes this offseason, but the Sides move was unexpected. Sides shared a message on X (formerly Twitter) after the news was announced on Sunday.

Sides did "leave it better" than she found it. She landed the Fever head coaching job in 2023 and the team went 13-27 and missed the WNBA postseason. In 2024, Indiana went 20-20 and clinched a postseason appearance.

Leading the way in 2024 was likely difficult given all of the attention on rookie Caitlin Clark. As a result, Indiana instantly became the most popular team in the WNBA. Every single basketball decision Sides made was closely evaluated, leading to no shortage of pressure on the Fever head coach.

Sides endured her ups and downs but she did lead the Fever to the WNBA playoffs. One can argue that Indiana moving on from Sides is unfair given the team's success. However, an argument can also be made that now is the perfect time to start fresh with a new head coach as Indiana looks to build a dynasty.

Christie Sides' potential WNBA future

There are a number of head coach openings in the WNBA right now. Sides will likely receive interest if she wants to continue coaching. Many teams would likely love to hire a head coach who recently reached the postseason.

There will be competition, though, since multiple teams have parted ways with their head coaches this offseason. The league will look quite different in 2025 from a head coaching perspective.

A team such as the Los Angeles Sparks could make sense for Sides. They were the worst team in 2024 and moved on from Curt Miller. Sides just helped the Fever rebuild and take a step forward, so the Sparks could hire her in hopes that she can lead the Sparks to a similar result.

Of course, LA may end up pursuing someone with more WNBA head coaching experience. Nevertheless, Sides will likely find a role in the WNBA for the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, the Fever will begin the process of hiring their next head coach. Interviews will surely begin soon as Indiana looks for someone who can lead the way for years to come. The ideal scenario would see the Fever hire a coach who can lead a potential dynasty with Caitlin Clark as a star player.