Christie Sides Facing Intense Backlash After Statement From Indiana Fever President

Indiana Fever president Kelly Krauskopf recently spoke with the media during her introductory press conference. Krauskopf was hired by the Fever just a few weeks ago and has already left lasting impressions on fans.

During her press conference with the media, Krauskopf was asked about her opinion of head coach Christie Sides. Sides, who was hired by the Fever in 2023, had a successful season, helping Indiana reach the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Krauskopf seems to be a fan of what Sides is building in Indiana, mentioning that she admired what the Fever were able to do in 2024.

"I mean, it's hard not to be impressed," Krauskopf said.

Krauskopf explained that developing a team takes time, and it's important to have a coach who knows how to round out a game plan for the future.

She seems to believe Sides is the answer.

"It takes time," Krauskopf said... "It doesn't happen in four months. It takes a few years. I was really impressed with the progress that they made and how Christie is a resilient leader. You know she's a culture builder. I know just that she's got that kind of, you know, stamina to stick to it and stick to her plan, and she's a good person and a great leader. I was impressed with the way they finished."

WNBA fans shared their reaction to the quote, seemingly displeased with Krauskopf's comments since she credited Sides and her "plan" for the Fever.

"I truly believe this had very little, if anything, to do with sides." said one fan.

"Fever won in spite of Sides not because of." said another fan.

"If it was up to sides, they would have stuck to that timeline - only cc getting her teammates to buy into a faster pace actually led them to wins." mentioned another fan.

"They did it despite Christie Sides. It took her half the season to create bonds between her players & trust/listen to Caitlin." commented one fan.

"Sides had nothing to do with it, Sides was a major obstacle," said one fan.

"They could have advanced more had it not been for her get a good coach in there," said another fan.

Sides helped the Fever earn the No. 6 seed in the WNBA standings with a 20-20 record. Under Sides, the Fever secured their first 20-win season since 2015.

As many fans mentioned, the Fever played behind the success of rookie Caitlin Clark. During her rookie season with the Fever, Clark recorded 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game.

She was named to the WNBA All-Star game in her first season in the league and was later awarded the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award.

Despite the Fever jumping from 13-27 in 2023 to 20-20 in 2024, fans believe Sides is stalling the growth of the organization.

She certainly helped lead an impactful change in her second year with the franchise, but her inability to develop Clark and mismanagement of lineups led fans to outrage online.

"She knew CC was coming and had zero game plan for it," said one fan. "Stuck her in the corner. Took her half the season to see the things even casual fans could see. She needs to go if they want to win it. We can't wait for her to learn to coach. This team is ready now."

"No CC, KM and AB got them to the playoffs lol the only thing Sides did was stop the momentum the team would get in 90% of the games," said another fan. "Also the lack of her ability to draw up actual plays for her top players is concerning."

"Stop," commented one fan. "Please stop. She cost them 6 games and that playoff series. No serious basketball person will say otherwise."

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