Christie Sides Breaks Silence On Controversial Roster Decision

Christie Sides and the Indiana Fever have been under fire in recent days after releasing 2024 second-round pick Celeste Taylor. Sides spoke on the decision following the Fever's practice on Wednesday.

“Yeah, that was just a really tough choice. Celeste did everything we asked her. She was a great teammate. She talked more than most as a rookie. … It was really hard to let her go," said Sides per Matthew Byrne on X.

Indiana has the worst defensive rating in the WNBA, but one of their only defensive specialists, Taylor, received the boot. Taylor played for Texas, Duke and Ohio State during her college career.

She finished her NCAA career winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Sides and the Fever filled Taylor's roster spot with 6-foot-3 forward Damiris Dantas. The eight-year veteran signed a two-year guaranteed contract with the Fever in June.

Despite the scrutiny online, the Fever seemed to have made the right decision. They bolstered their frontcourt with a player who can affect the game around the rim on both ends of the floor.

Related: WNBA Legend Rebecca Lobo Issues Strong Take On Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry

Related: Angel Reese Delivers Four-Word Update On WNBA Rookie Season