Fever Boss Sends Strong Message on Christie Sides After 'Roller Coaster'

The Indiana Fever continue to make impressive headways in the WNBA following the additions of Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark in back-to-back seasons.

Boston and Clark, both top overall picks, have driven the recent success of the Fever with their youthful energy and deep understanding of the game, along with veteran Kelsey Mitchell .

But another person behind the Fever's strong showing is coach Christie Sides. Since taking the helm in 2023, she has displayed her ability to mesh emerging stars with seasoned players, a pivotal factor in the team's turnaround.

Before her arrival, the Fever were a perennial doormat in the WNBA. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2016. In the six seasons prior to Sides taking over, the team had a 45-147 record.

For Fever general manager Lin Dunn, the risky move to hire Sides, who had no previous head coaching experience, was to provide stability to the squad. Sides is the Fever's fourth coach in seven years.

“One of the things that really goes into being consistently successful is stability," Dunn said in a report from IndyStar's Chloe Peterson . "Since coach (Stephanie) White left, we've had one, two, three, four, I don't know how many head coaching changes.

"So it's like a roller coaster, and so it's hard to grow that stability."

But since betting on 47-year-old Sides, Dunn said the decision is already paying dividends. Last year, she led the Fever to 13 wins.

“I like what Christie has done," Dunn added. "I like what she did last year."

Sides has allowed Boston, Clark and Mitchell to play to their strengths, while also instilling a culture of discipline and emphasizing mental toughness.

"It’s just exciting that we’re being led by a really good group of people and a group our team believes in,” Fever guard Lexie Hull said in the report.

The Fever are currently in seventh place with a 13-15 record.

Related: Shannon Sharpe Makes Bold All-Time Prediction for Caitlin Clark