Tag: Christie Sides

The Fever firing head coach Christie Sides fuels Stephanie White reunion speculation

The Fever are seeking a new coach after their first playoff berth since 2016.

It was weird to hear reports last week that the Indiana Fever were interviewing Stephanie White for head coach considering the incumbent coach, Christie Sides, was still technically on the team.

Don’t get me wrong, White is a great coach and any team would be lucky to have her. She was, after all, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, and she led the Connecticut Sun to a combined 55-25 record the last two years. But the Fever already had a coach. And Sides led them to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2016.

Well, that’s no longer the case. Indiana has parted ways with Sides, the team announced Sunday, clearing the way for a potential reunion with White, whose first head coaching job was with the Fever in 2015 and 2016.

White also played the majority of her career with the Fever, from the team’s inaugural year in 2000 to 2004. And she was an assistant with the Fever from 2011-2014, which includes the team’s only championship in 2012.

Of course, the ball is in White’s corner to make a decision. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile reported Wednesday the Fever were one of three teams vying for White’s services, along with the Sun and Chicago Sky.

However, considering her history with the team, and the Fever having the brightest young star in the WBNA, Caitlin Clark, the opportunity in Indiana may be too good to pass up.

No, Christie Sides probably didn’t curse out a referee as lip-readers thought

This was not her saying “[EXPLETIVE] YOU!”

Lip-readers thought they caught Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides screaming F-bombs at a referee in the Game 1 playoff loss to the Connecticut Fever.

But I’m here to inform you that you’re probably wrong.

A hat tip to our Prince Grimes, who noted in our work group chat that Sides was probably screaming “FATOU!” That would be the first name of referee Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, who was working the game on Sunday. Sides had gotten hit with a technical foul in that moment.

I know, the lip-reading sure made it look like she was saying something else, but this seems like the most plausible explanation here.

Here are the videos of the moment from that playoff game:

https://twitter.com/sudharsan_ak/status/1837937061669884215?s=46&t=s5N-JgxcI5k9IbFhklucXA

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1837938701382427113

 

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Why Christie Sides and Noelle Quinn had a very tense courtside exchange after a Fever blowout win

At the end of a Storm-Fever matchup, things quickly got tense between Christie Sides and Noelle Quinn.

The Indiana Fever finally beat the Seattle Storm, and the matchup did not disappoint.

This was probably always going to be the case for the Fever. Seattle beat Indiana three straight times before Sunday, including twice by double digits. So, you have to think, *at some point*, Indiana would finally get its life together and fight back. It happened dramatically with a strange Caitlin Clark technical foul, a career day from Lexie Hull and an absolutely wild fourth quarter that produced a lead that the Storm couldn’t overcome.

Once Seattle’s comeback was out of reach, this seemingly could have been where Fever head coach Christie Sides pulled her starters as Storm head coach Noelle Quinn pulled hers. But Sides did not, and there was a very awkward exchange with Quinn (and even Skylar Diggins-Smith) during the end of the game.

Quinn seemingly gave Sides an earful multiple times before eventually walking away. Postgame, she downplayed the exchange, saying that she and Sides had a “spirited conversation about gamesmanship.”

Reading the room, this is probably less about Sides playing her starters (which she was fully entitled to) and more about Seattle dropping a heartbreaker to the Atlanta Dream on Friday and then having another tough loss on Sunday.

It’s certainly understandable why Quinn would feel some way about it, considering the game was already a contested battle, and her team faltered down the stretch.

Either way, the exchange amounted to a nothing burger, and both sides moved on.

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Christie Sides, Indiana Fever want Caitlin Clark to shoot more

Christie Sides says that the Indiana Fever need Caitlin Clark to shoot more.

After its 89-77 loss versus the Seattle Storm on Thursday night, Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides was asked if she wants rookie guard Caitlin Clark to shoot more or if she feels like Clark isn’t taking enough shots.

“Yeah, Caitlin Clark needs to shoot a minimum of 15 shots a game for us. I mean, she’s got to get shots. We’ve got to do a better job of setting her up and setting some really good screens for her to get her open.

“The way people guard her, it’s tough, because she’s getting red-ed. So, once the ball is out of her hands, she’s setting the rest of our team up for some really great looks, but, when we’re not able to finish those, we’ve got to make sure we’re going back and trying to get her back to that ball, getting that ball back in her hands at times,” Sides said.

Clark finished with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range in the loss versus the Storm. The Iowa alum also added seven assists and six rebounds.

As ESPN’s Michael Voepel noted, Clark is leading all WNBA rookies in scoring (16.2 points per game), assists per game (6.6), field goals made per game (4.9) and field goals attempted per game (12.2).

Still, Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith and Kelsey Mitchell each attempted more shots than Clark in the loss at the Storm. Plus, Clark is just 20th in the league in field goals attempted per game.

Sides discussed the challenge of trying to create shots for Clark and how the Fever balance whether to have Clark on- or off-ball.

“The way teams play her, if she gets a ball screen, they’re just going to do everything to take it out of her hands. They’re going to red her. I mean, that’s what she’s getting every single time. She’s getting some pretty good looks when she’s off the ball. We like her on the ball, so we’ve just got to figure out how to manage the two,” Sides said.

The Fever are continuing to figure more out about themselves and how this personnel all fits together. Aside from shooting the basketball, it’s been clear that teammates are still acclimating to how Clark shares the basketball.

Sides was asked about Clark’s passing after the contest versus Seattle.

“Talk about it all the time that she’s a hell of a passer. She sees windows, she sees open teammates before they realize they’re open. I think sometimes we just got to be ready.

“I think she came up a couple times and we just got to be ready for those passes. We’ve got to make harder cuts where she sees it, but we also have to know when some of those passes aren’t there, like I have all the confidence in the world for her to just hold onto it and then make a second action out of it,” Sides said.

Clark and the Fever (7-12) return to action on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT at Phoenix (9-8) on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Why Fever coach Christie Side wants Caitlin Clark to play with more selfishness

“I think sometimes she’s being a little too unselfish at times.”

Fever head coach Christie Sides wants Caitlin Clark to create more shots for herself. In fact, Christie wants Caitlin to be less “unselfish” with her passing.

The Fever are still reeling from Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Chicago Sky. Despite the absolute box-office rivalry matchup that included a filthy Caitlin Clark 3-pointer, the team let a 15-point lead evaporate. (They also could not stop Angel Reese down the stretch. Not good.)

After looking at the film and having time to digest it a bit, Christie Sides thinks something that could help the Fever going forward is if Caitlin Clark created more shots for herself. Per Matthew Byrne of Clutch Points, this is what Sides shared with the media on Tuesday:

“I think sometimes she’s being a little too unselfish at times…I mean, she had 13 assists the other night against Chicago…if you’re open, she’s gonna hit you.”

“I think she turns down some shots. I’d like her to take some shots that, when she comes off, she knows she has the green light.”

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A photo of Caitlin Clark playfully shushing Fever coach Christie Sides became an instant meme

A funny meme courtesy of Caitlin Clark.

The vibes around the Indiana Fever have gotten much better now that they’ve started winning games, and it seems like they’re having some fun during practice, at least according to one photo that’s going around.

It’s a shot of Caitlin Clark shushing coach Christie Sides, who … appears to be dancing in some fashion? Whatever it is, it became an instant meme as folks shared it on X (formerly Twitter) and made some jokes about it.

Here’s a roundup of what we saw as Clark and Co. got ready to face the Chicago Sky on Sunday for a must-watch WNBA contest:

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Fever coach Christie Sides called out her team for perceived lack of effort after loss to the Sun

Fever coach Christie Sides felt her team didn’t try hard enough against the Sun on Monday.

Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides criticized her team in a big way after its 89-72 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Monday night.

When asked about her team’s biggest defensive problem against Connecticut during press availability, Sides openly questioned her team’s effort in the game and said the coaching staff had to prompt the team to “keep playing hard” during the defeat.

The 3-10 Sun are a young team, and growing pans are to be expected, particularly with developing superstars like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.

However, openly grappling with your team’s perceived lack of effort after a difficult loss feels like it could backfire.

“You can’t at this level coach effort,” Sides told reporters, per ClutchPoints’ Matthew Byrne. “You can’t play in this league… if you have to coach effort. It’s just too hard.”

This is a pretty pointed critique for Sides to make about her team, and we’re sure that the message will be received by the Fever players. It just depends on how the criticism will go over in the Indiana locker room.

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Caitlin Clark seemingly getting fouled with no call fired up Fever coach Christie Sides to the point of a tech

The refs seemingly ignoring a Storm foul on Caitlin Clark got Fever coach Christine Sides fired up to the point of a tech.

In what was a pretty chippy Thursday night game between the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm, Indiana coach Christie Sides earned a technical foul while defending her star rookie, Caitlin Clark.

Fieldhouse Files reporter Scott Agness noticed that a possible no-call on the Storm as Clark went in for a basket got Sides fired up on the sideline. Her passionate response to the perceived no-call earned her a technical foul, something Clark picked up earlier in the game.

Sides defending Clark in a moment like this will build trust and respect in the Fever locker room, as opposing players aren’t going to stop going hard at Clark during her first WNBA season.

While technical fouls are never ideal, standing up for your player when you feel like they’ve been wronged without proper response is more than fair.

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Fever coach Christie Sides blasts critics after an underwhelming 0-5 start

“Caitlin uses the word grace a lot — give us some grace.”

After losing their first five games of the season, the Indiana Fever are going through it. People are frustrated — angry even— but head coach Christie Sides says the criticism the team is facing isn’t fair.

The noise surrounding the Indiana Fever’s losing woes is so loud that it’s getting back to the team. Aliyah Boston had to recently delete her X (formerly Twitter) app because some fans have become unhinged with what they’ve said to her.

Now, Christie Sides is coming to the defense of her squad and telling everyone that the comments they are receiving are unnecessary. Here’s what she recently told Nick Hamilton of TheHardwood94 about the criticism:

“It’s just a lot of…hate and the vile language directed to these players…for them to have to deal with that after coming every day and giving their all in their job, it’s just not fair.

“What are we saying to them if they’re going to be so criticized for getting up every day and coming to play basketball and trying to put a good product on the floor?…”

“Caitlin uses the word grace a lot — give us some grace. Give these guys some grace. They deserve that. They don’t deserve what’s being said.”

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Fever coach Christie Sides looked so distracted by ESPN’s TV interview during a close fourth quarter

ESPN needs to stop these awkward interviews.

The WNBA is enjoying a terrific opening to one of its most highly anticipated seasons ever. And it seems ESPN is still hellbent on holding onto archaic broadcast tropes that don’t really appear to serve anyone watching.

During the Indiana Fever’s tough 88-84 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Monday, ESPN conducted a live awkward interview with Indiana coach Christie Sides. Even just watching the interview live, it’s pretty apparent that Sides is struggling to hear the questions being asked of her and that she was understandably distracted while trying to coach her team in a tough fourth quarter.

It just, once again, made this interview process seem so unnecessary:

Seriously, though: Who are these interviews for?

Are fans legitimately getting great insight from coaches who will most likely spout off platitudes about playing with effort and getting quality shots? I’m open-minded, but I doubt anyone is gleaning anything useful or insightful from this. I highly doubt a coach in the heat of the moment will ever say anything more valuable.

This feels like an appendage that ESPN should, at the very least, consider adjusting rather than distracting a coach as they do their job.