Caitlin Clark’s ex-coach Christie Sides makes 1st public appearance after getting terminated by Indiana Fever – Image: Getty

After being let go by the Indiana Fever in October, coach Christie Sides made her first public appearance, sharing a post on her Instagram Stories about a night out in New Orleans. A Louisiana native, Sides was Caitlin Clark’s first coach in the WNBA.

Sides, smiling brightly, appeared to be enjoying time with friends and captioned her post:

“NOLA NIGHTS 😍.”

Caitlin Clark’s ex-coach Christie Sides makes 1st public appearance after getting terminated by Indiana Fever

Sides spent two years as head coach of the Fever, achieving a 33-47 (.413) regular-season record. She helped lead the team to their first postseason appearance since 2016 last season.

During her tenure, Sides played a key role in developing back-to-back WNBA Rookies of the Year, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. She also became the first coach in franchise history to earn WNBA Coach of the Month honors in August 2024.

When announcing her departure, Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf acknowledged Sides’ contributions, stating:

“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.”

Following the announcement of her firing, Sides tweeted:

“Leave it better than you found it.✌🏼

The Fever subsequently hired Stephanie White, a former Connecticut Sun coach. White has deep ties to Indiana as a West Lebanon native and Purdue alumna who previously played for and coached the Fever.

Caitlin Clark says she’s not behind Christie Sides’s firing, Stephanie White’s hiring

Rumors circulated that Caitlin Clark’s dissatisfaction with Sides influenced the coaching change, as star players are often perceived to have significant sway in team decisions.

However, Clark denied these claims in her TIME Athlete of the Year feature, saying:

“I’m actually not the general manager of the team.”

White, Clark’s new coach, joined the Fever in 1999 after her rookie season with the Charlotte Sting, playing five seasons before transitioning to coaching. She served on the Fever’s coaching staff from 2011 to 2016, rising from assistant coach (2011-2014) to head coach (2015-2016).

During her tenure, she helped the team win the 2012 WNBA championship and reach the Finals in 2015.

In her introductory press conference as the Fever’s head coach in November, White expressed her excitement about working with young stars like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, saying:

“These two are the best — there’s so many things that they do well right now… but there’s so much room for growth,” White said (per SB Nation).

“When you think about the great point guards and post players that our game — not just our league — but our game has seen, they’re going to go down as the greatest.”

The Fever aim to improve upon their first-round exit in the 2024 season.