The Indiana Fever — recognized this season for turning first total choose Caitlin Clark right into a family title — fired head coach Christie Sides after simply two seasons of her management.
“We’re extremely grateful to Coach Sides for embracing the problem of main us by way of an integral transition interval over the past two seasons, whereas additionally positioning us nicely for future progress,” stated Kelly Krauskopf, Fever president of basketball operations, in a statement made on Sunday, Oct. 27, announcing Sides’ departure.
“Whereas choices like these are by no means straightforward, it is usually crucial that we stay daring and assertive within the pursuit of our targets, which incorporates maximizing our expertise and bringing one other WNBA championship again to Indiana. Coach Sides was an unbelievable consultant of the Fever and our neighborhood, and we want her nothing however success sooner or later,” the assertion continued.
Below Sides’ tutelage, the Fever went to the playoffs for the primary time since 2016, although they in the end fell to the mighty New York Liberty. It is greater than truthful to say that Sides’ tenure with the Fever was a very good one.
Sadly, although, Sides’ departure is simply the newest in a collection of firings which have taken place following one of the profitable seasons in WNBA historical past.
The L.A. Sparks fired Curt Miller on Sept. 24, after which Teresa Witherspoon of the Chicago Sky bought the boot simply two days later. That termination was adopted up by the firing of Tanisha Wright of the Atlanta Dream on Oct. 2 and the firing of Latricia Trammell from the Dallas Wings on Oct. 18. The ultimate spherical of terminations got here on Oct. 23, when head coach Eric Thibault and common supervisor Mike Thibault got the boot from the Washington Mystics.
Stephanie White, too, is out because the Connecticut Solar head coach after simply two seasons, with rumors abounding that she’s in rivalry to move over to the Fever and the sports activities intelligentsia suggesting that she’ll be “Caitlin Clark’s next coach.”
All of those terminations imply that there will probably be a minimum of six new head coaches when the WNBA returns to the court docket in 2025 — a primary for the league.
Why are there so many modifications in such a short while?
One of many greatest causes has to do with the inflow of cash that is set to return from the brand new media rights deal in 2026. In response to Front Office Sports, this deal will probably be price $2.2 billion — which now offers the WNBA the warfare chest wanted to rent the splashy names it will need in its new endeavors and to take its groups to new heights.
In response to the outlet, because the common coach made $700,000 per 12 months or much less, there are instantly much more causes for the big-name coaches (a few of whom are coming from the NBA) to place their full weight behind ladies’s basketball.
One query stays: is it actually crucial? Some critics say it’s. However we’ll solely know within the coming season now that the highlight shines brighter on the WNBA than ever earlier than.
