Despite all their dissimilarities, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese established strong cases for Rookie of the Year in 2024. But aside from their play, this offseason has brought about one major similarity – changing coaches in their rookie seasons. It’s something Sue Bird faced in her own budding season as a pro in the W but she has more in common with CC than Reese.

In the latest episode of her A Touch More with partner Megan Rapinoe, Bird discusses the WNBA going through a unique offseason with almost half the teams currently sans head coaches. When Rapinoe points out how Bird went through the same, the former Seattle Storm player recalls, “2002, my rookie year, not that different from both Angel and Caitlin.”

But she clarifies how that Storm team and this season’s Fever are different from the Sky, “A little more similar to Caitlin because we made the playoffs.” But that’s not all, as Bird continues, “So we were a team that had young talent, and also expectation because of myself and Lauren [Jackson], back to back No. 1 picks.” Christie Sides was in a similar position with Aliyah Boston and CC this season.

“But also, who knows how we’re gonna do? The season was totally up and down…made the playoffs, lost in the first round to eventual champions, the LA Sparks,” Bird continues.

Of course, the Fever lost in the first round as well, except the Connecticut Sun didn’t win the championship either. In Chicago, losing Reese to a wrist injury proved devastating because the Sky lost a streak of five consecutive games without her. And eventually ended up without a postseason berth.

But while Bird’s Storm and Reese’s Sky differ here, the retired pro also took a dig at the current Indiana Fever team, who are looking for a new coach after Christie Sides’ firing. Interestingly, the coach the Storm fired now works in Indy.

Sue Bird hilariously wishes Caitlin Clark “good luck”

After Sides’ shock firing, Stephanie White has been in conversation with at least three teams to coach them next, including the Fever and Sky. But nothing has been finalized yet, and as Sue Bird points out, the Fever still have Lin Dunn, who is not a coach but a senior advisor now.

Recalling what happened after the 2002 playoffs, Bird says, “Maybe less than a month later, I get a call saying our coach has resigned. What’s interesting about that moment is that, that coach was Lin Dunn, who is now with the Indiana Fever.” She also clarifies, “So Lin didn’t get fired, she technically resigned, but I remember people thinking like, ‘Why would she do that? What actually happened? Why wouldn’t Lin wanna continue?’ There were all these question marks.”

But then Bird gets a little cheeky and reveals, “We eventually ended up hiring Anne Donovan and we won two years later. So, you know, good luck to Indiana…you got two years.”

Bird of course seems to be joking as she laughs it off, but wouldn’t it be something if the Indiana Fever do actually win a championship before 2026? Lin Dunn worked as the Fever’s general manager for two seasons before moving to an advisory position but she still remains part of the team. Whether it’s Stephanie White or someone else who comes in, can this young team band together to get that ultimate title?