Things are shaking up in Indiana. After a record-breaking season, much of which was courtesy of star rookie Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever fizzled out of the playoffs in the first round. And yet, it had been their first appearance in the postseason in eight years. Despite that, the Fever executives have decided to part ways with head coach Christie Sides after two seasons and a 33-47 record. And after opposing Sides the entire season, fans don’t know what to think.

Newly reinstated President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf said in a statement, “We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons, while also positioning us well for future growth.”

When Sides joined the Fever in 2023 as a head coach, she already gave them a positive result. The team wrapped up the season with a .325 winning percentage, their best since 2019. In fact, the 2023 first-overall pick Aliyah Boston received the ROTY honor for leading the league in FG efficiency. This season, Indiana entered the playoffs after 2016 with sixth-seed and a .500 winning percentage. Consequently, Caitlin Clark won her ROTY this season.

But for the fan base, after a season full of ‘firing’ demands for the HC, this news of the Fever finally taking their demands to heart has left uncertainty behind.

The narrative took a turn against Sides when in a June game against Atlanta, Clark only added 7 points and 6 assists despite playing for 35 minutes. The Fever faithful turned against Christie Sides and renewed chants of her removal from the team. And yet, now that it has come true, some are unhappy.

Christie Sides’ firing leaves Indiana Fever fans befuddled and unhappy

Becoming the first coach in the franchise to win WNBA Coach of the Month in August 2024, Christie Sides was bringing in a change. Fostering and growing two consecutive No. 1 picks in Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston was no easy thing, which some portion of the fanbase realizes.

“I’m sorry, Christie Sides deserved better from Indiana. Of course they struggled early with a tough schedule and a giant bullseye from the opposition, but once they figured things out, they earned a playoff berth – the first in quite a while for that franchise. Makes no sense,” one fan said. The Fever had one of the toughest starts of the season and lost six consecutive games. However, their schedule was quite hectic as they played multiple back-to-back games in the opening month of the 28th WNBA season.

Another was simply confused, “Christie Sides got fired??? For what???” When the Coach of the Year awards were announced, it expectedly went to Cheryl Reeve, the HC who later led the Lynx to a Finals championship game. The second-most votes went to Liberty’s Sandy Brondello, who did actually end up winning the title. And the single third vote went to Christie Sides, which is a testament to her prowess this season.

One fan hoped for better things for the coach, “@ChristieSides I thought you did a pretty good job. 🤷🏽‍♂️ Hope to see you back on the horse. Good luck going forward.”

Had Natalie Nakase not been named the coach of the WNBA’s new expansion franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, could Sides have gone to San Francisco? Maybe, maybe not. However, looking how she can indeed do a good job with one of the youngest teams in the league, she just might end up in one of the teams looking for a new head coach.

One fan couldn’t believe that even postseason success was not enough for the Fever to retain their head coach, “Made the playoffs and still got clipped sheesh 😮‍💨” Another said, “Naww this is sick w– why?”

Almost half the league is now without head coaches – Dream, Wings, Sparks, Mystics and Sky. Interestingly, the Sun might join this loss soon because Stephanie White has reportedly been in conversation to join another team as head coach, including the Fever.

While Caitlin Clark and Christie Sides got along well enough in 2024, fans had polarizing reactions to the duo and this news nevertheless. Can a new coach fully maximize her potential the way Indiana executives want them to? Only time will tell.