WNBA: Indiana cans Christie Sides

[Blakeon18]

Fever ax Sides despite Clark stardom, playoff bid

The Fever have fired coach Christie Sides after two seasons. Sides presided over Caitlin Clark's historic rookie season and led the team to its first postseason appearance since 2016.

www.espn.com

After 2 years...after some solid improvement with Caitlin Clark in year 2.

I wonder who they have in mind to replace her.
Did CC have enough juice to influence this decision?

 

[visitingcock]

I’m a bit surprised. I know the newbie Caitlin fans hated her and want Lisa Bluder to come in and green light Clark for 30 shots per game. Nevertheless, I thought she did a decent job after the Olympics break. Not perfect, but she seemed to be growing into the job and the players other than Nylyssa seemed to like her well enough.

Two years?

 

[JoePgh]

It sounds to me like they may be close to a deal with Stephanie White, who is an Indiana native and former Purdue star.

If White leaves the Sun, I think they should look at Eric Thibault, who certainly has Connecticut roots.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I’m a bit surprised. I know the newbie Caitlin fans hated her and want Lisa Bluder to come in and green light Clark for 30 shots per game. Nevertheless, I thought she did a decent job after the Olympics break. Not perfect, but she seemed to be growing into the job and the players other than Nylyssa seemed to like her well enough.

Two years?

They must not like winning, then. Imagine Lisa Bluder, of all people, trying to come up with a defensive scheme for A'ja, Stewie, or Phee. Yeah, that's a recipe for DISASTER!

 

[darrell]

It sounds to me like they may be close to a deal with Stephanie White, who is an Indiana native and former Purdue star.

If White leaves the Sun, I think they should look at Eric Thibault, who certainly has Connecticut roots.

Seems like all the recently fired HCs are playing hot potato with different teams. I read that Curt Miller, Latricia Trammell and, now likely, Christie Sides are being looked at the for the Sky HC vacancy.

 

[Stagnant]

This is ruthless by Indiana. They are showing intent, they want to win things. And I think fever fans should be excited.

I expect this will translate to personnel decisions too. They will take some swings at some marquee free agents. And they will try to move unhappy players and bad contracts.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Accountability season is here, folks! The players themselves have been getting better every season. Now, it's time for the coaching (and GMs) to improve dramatically as well. The product overall cannot advance until those in charge are held to account.

For far too long, WNBA coaches have not been held to a necessary standard (that's been my opinion). The WNBA has some of the most substandard coaches in professional sports. You could probably name at least five current (or even recently-retired) college coaches that are a cut above the average WNBA coach. In fact, the best WNBA head coach likely isn't better than the best NCAA coach. By contrast, most people perceive Steve Kerr to be a better coach than Dan Hurley (though it may be closer that we think).

This coaching (and GM) purge should serve as a reminder that the stakes are higher as more money enters the sport (officials/referees should be on high alert as well). Mediocrity is no longer the standard in the WNBA. If I'm Nate Tibbets, I'm updating my CV and renting instead of buying because buddy--you're next.

 

[Vowelguy]

Seems like all the recently fired HCs are playing hot potato with different teams. I read that Curt Miller, Latricia Trammell and, now likely, Christie Sides are being looked at the for the Sky HC vacancy.

The problem for the W is who is the applicant pool? No top or even 2nd-tier college coach is going to be interested in taking less money, having less job stability, and getting fewer wins. So you've got some current assistants and former W coaches. It's the same retreads that many sports do -- you used to see NFL or NBA coaches fail but keeping getting job after job.

I hope someone is at least thinking big and making a run at some of the retired greats. Sure Tara, Muffett, even Bluder are unlikely to be interested, but at least take a shot?

 

[bballnut90]

The problem for the W is who is the applicant pool? No top or even 2nd-tier college coach is going to be interested in taking less money, having less job stability, and getting fewer wins. So you've got some current assistants and former W coaches. It's the same retreads that many sports do -- you used to see NFL or NBA coaches fail but keeping getting job after job.

I hope someone is at least thinking big and making a run at some of the retired greats. Sure Tara, Muffett, even Bluder are unlikely to be interested, but at least take a shot?

This ^^. Top college coaches net 2-4m/year, while Cheryl Reeves/Sandy Brondello net around mid six figures I believe.

Also, it’s a completely different dynamic in the pros than coaching college. As a college coach it’s your program and you have far more power and usually at least a 3-4 year leash. In the pros, that’s not the case and coaches seem far more dispensable, this year being a perfect example.

I’m guessing higher coaching salaries become the norm as the tv deal will funnel a lot of new money into the pros. If everyone starts shelling out 1m+ contracts, they’ll attract better coaches.

 

[UConnCat]

It sounds to me like they may be close to a deal with Stephanie White, who is an Indiana native and former Purdue star.

If White leaves the Sun, I think they should look at Eric Thibault, who certainly has Connecticut roots.

White has one year left on her contract with the Sun. She will have to be released from that deal to sign a deal with the Fever. Will the Sun ask for something in return from the Fever?

 

[WBBTakeover]

Guessing a big push will be made to land Satou Sabally. If they get her and keep Mitchell (which looks promising), they're a contender. White is a good defensive coach and should upgrade them in that department.

And Clark is right there in the conversation for being a top player in the league. The back half of the season she was the best player in the league not named A'ja Wilson. She isn't ever going to be an elite 2 way player like the others noted, but quite frankly she doesn't need to be. She is already the best guard in the league and has a solid big 3 with her/Boston/Mitchell. Just because Vegas/Seattle/Minnesota have their offense built around a talented forward/post player, I don't see that as a necessary blue print to be a title contender.

Sabally's health is a major question mark (she played 38 of 40 games in 2023, but she missed large chunks of 2021, 2022, and 2024) and she doesn't fix their two biggest issues--defense and play at the four. Alyssa Thomas would be a better get to plug those holes, but she's too ball-dominant for what they want to do with Caitlin.

If Caitlin can't be an elite two-way player (or at least average/above average defensively), then Indiana has to acquire one somehow because the last time that a guard who didn't defend well led team to a championship was exactly a decade ago (and that team actually had an elite two-way big). Since then, no other team led by an offensive-minded guard sniffed a title in the WNBA. You can go right down the list--Minnesota, LA, Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York--all led by bigs and, with the exception of Washington 2019, all led by elite two-way players. So it's looking like that's the blueprint for a title and that Indiana better get creative.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I believe that 20+ (points) and 10+ (assists) seasons are good enough to keep Caitlin in the conversation for best player in the league. And if Indiana finishes Top 3, she'll likely walk away with at least one MVP at some point because 20/10 assists has never been done before. But she can never be seen as the league's top player if she's seen as a major liability on defense. She has to either improve in that regard or she has to become the second-best player on her team if the team is going to contend for a championship. She has the physical tools to be a better defender than she is currently. The question's going to be whether she sees it as being worthy enough of a cause to take up. A few more ringless seasons may help her make that decision.

And with players like Paige, JuJu, Hannah, MiLaysia, Kiki, etc. set to enter the league in the coming years, Caitlin's place as the "next generation's superstar" will have legit challengers. She's going to have to defend if she wants a shot at a title in THIS environment. Without it, she's not touching those more-accomplished two-way elite superstars in Las Vegas, New York, and Minnesota--and neither will her team.

 

[bballnut90]

I believe that 20+ (points) and 10+ (assists) seasons are good enough to keep Caitlin in the conversation for best player in the league. And if Indiana finishes Top 3, she'll likely walk away with at least one MVP at some point because 20/10 assists has never been done before. But she can never be seen as the league's top player if she's seen as a major liability on defense. She has to either improve in that regard or she has to become the second-best player on her team if the team is going to contend for a championship. She has the physical tools to be a better defender than she is currently. The question's going to be whether she sees it as being worthy enough of a cause to take up. A few more ringless seasons may help her make that decision.

And with players like Paige, JuJu, Hannah, MiLaysia, Kiki, etc. set to enter the league in the coming years, Caitlin's place as the "next generation's superstar" will have legit challengers. She's going to have to defend if she wants a shot at a title in THIS environment. Without it, she's not touching those more-accomplished two-way elite superstars in Las Vegas, New York, and Minnesota--and neither will her team.

I’m not sure why you’d assume she isn’t going to put in effort to be a better defender. She improved significantly on defense during her first season, which I’m pretty sure was the first time in at least 4 years that she played man to man. And if White is the new coach, she’ll get better defensive coaching too.

Most of the great WNBA guards were never strong defenders (Bird, Taurasi, Whalen and Vandersloot all come to mind). Clark is never going to be an elite defender, but if she improves and isn’t a major liability on that end, that’s good enough if they have other pieces in place.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I’m not sure why you’d assume she isn’t going to put in effort to be a better defender. She improved significantly on defense during her first season, which I’m pretty sure was the first time in at least 4 years that she played man to man. And if White is the new coach, she’ll get better defensive coaching too.

Most of the great WNBA guards were never strong defenders (Bird, Taurasi, Whalen and Vandersloot all come to mind). Clark is never going to be an elite defender, but if she improves and isn’t a major liability on that end, that’s good enough if they have other pieces in place.

And how many MVPs did that group win? One. I don't believe that Caitlin wants to be in that group. I wouldn't want her to be in that group. I'd want her to challenge Cynthia Cooper's MVP mark for a guard.

I'm in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to Caitlin and her defense. She has the physical tools to be a better defender than she is currently. I've said here on this very thread that if she isn't a major liability on defense (i.e., average to slightly above average), then her chances of getting Indiana to contender status and her chances of winning MVP improve.

And while it's not a given that Caitlin will become an elite defender, I want you to explain to me why you believe that Caitlin will never be one. I'm listening. Enlighten me. Why can't she give what, say, Chelsea Gray gives defensively?

 

[cancontent]

I’m not sure why you’d assume she isn’t going to put in effort to be a better defender. She improved significantly on defense during her first season, which I’m pretty sure was the first time in at least 4 years that she played man to man. And if White is the new coach, she’ll get better defensive coaching too.

Most of the great WNBA guards were never strong defenders (Bird, Taurasi, Whalen and Vandersloot all come to mind). Clark is never going to be an elite defender, but if she improves and isn’t a major liability on that end, that’s good enough if they have other pieces in place.

Look at Ionsecu as an example. She's gotten better every season and it helped the Liberty win the title.

 

[Dillon77]

I've put this in WNBA Off-Season, as well, but Connecticut just announced that Steph White is not coming back.
Thought they could've leveraged White's last year for something -- anything -- but Conn. President Jen Rizzotti announced they're parting ways.
So Steph White is free to go to Indiana or Chicago or....?

White out as Sun head coach after two seasons

Stephanie White is out as head coach of the Connecticut Sun after two seasons, the team announced Monday.

www.espn.com

 

[sivad40]

White has one year left on her contract with the Sun. She will have to be released from that deal to sign a deal with the Fever. Will the Sun ask for something in return from the Fever?

Not anymore.

White out as Sun head coach after two seasons

Stephanie White is out as head coach of the Connecticut Sun after two seasons, the team announced Monday.

www.espn.com

 

[bballnut90]

And how many MVPs did that group win? One. I don't believe that Caitlin wants to be in that group. I wouldn't want her to be in that group. I'd want her to challenge Cynthia Cooper's MVP mark for a guard.

I'm in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to Caitlin and her defense. She has the physical tools to be a better defender than she is currently. I've said here on this very thread that if she isn't a major liability on defense (i.e., average to slightly above average), then her chances of getting Indiana to contender status and her chances of winning MVP improve.

And while it's not a given that Caitlin will become an elite defender, I want you to explain to me why you believe that Caitlin will never be one. I'm listening. Enlighten me. Why can't she give what, say, Chelsea Gray gives defensively?

Clark is not quick enough laterally to be an elite defender. She also expends so much energy offensively that she isn’t ever going to be a defensive stopper that guards the opponent’s top player and is prioritized as a defender. Elite offensive guards that carry a huge load offensively are rarely elite defenders. It’s not an insult, it’s a realistic assumption.

I don’t think she has to be a top defender to win MVP or multiple MVPs. Even if history says otherwise, I also don’t think you necessarily need an MVP caliber PF to win a title or be a title contender. Clark is arguably the best guard prospect the league has ever had and her teams will be structured differently than ones built around strong forwards and centers. Her career isn’t going to follow the blueprint that others before her have laid out.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Clark is quick enough laterally to be an elite defender. She also expends so much energy offensively that she isn’t ever going to be a defensive stopper that guards the opponent’s top player and is prioritized as a defender. Elite offensive guards that carry a huge load offensively are rarely elite defenders. It’s not an insult, it’s a realistic assumption.

I don’t think she has to be a top defender to win MVP or multiple MVPs. Even if history says otherwise, I also don’t think you necessarily need an MVP caliber PF to win a title or be a title contender. Clark is arguably the best guard prospect the league has ever had and her teams will be structured differently than ones built around strong forwards and centers. Her career isn’t going to follow the blueprint that others before her have laid out.

So...nothing's really stopping her from improving as a defender except for her.

 

[bballnut90]

So...nothing's really stopping her from improving as a defender except for her.

Typed it wrong from my phone, corrected it to, "Clark is not quick enough laterally to be an elite defender."

 

[cancontent]

Typed it wrong from my phone, corrected it to, "Clark is not quick enough laterally to be an elite defender."

She'll make improvements over time. Being elite on defence isn't what most fans are concerned with when it comes to her style of play. As long as she can hold her own to an extent, I think the Fever fanbase would be happy with that.

 

[GoChips20]

She'll make improvements over time. Being elite on defence isn't what most fans are concerned with when it comes to her style of play. As long as she can hold her own to an extent, I think the Fever fanbase would be happy with that.

Agreed. The Fever as a team likely aren’t ever going to have a great defense as currently constructed. Aside from Clark, Mitchell is quick but small and gets caught ball-watching. Even Boston, who was arguably a generationally good post defender in college, has some limitations on defense due to her athleticism. Do not get me started on NaLyssa Smith’s defense although she’s likely elsewhere next year.

I think Steph White is a good match for the Fever for many reasons, defensive improvement being just one. But if the Fever are going to win a title I think it’s more likely to be because their defense became serviceable rather than elite.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Typed it wrong from my phone, corrected it to, "Clark is not quick enough laterally to be an elite defender."

Okay, that's fair. However, I would argue that her being a legit 6'0 helps to offset that, especially considering that Vandersloot (5'8), Bird (5'9), and Whalen (5'8) were/are all a good bit shorter (which, in addition to their athletic deficiencies, hurt their chances of becoming better than average defenders). I would also say that Sabrina (5'11) is noticeably slower than Caitlin, which hurts her (Sabrina's) chances of being substantially better than average.

So if Caitlin is taller than the average guard and can move her feet better than at least one elite contemporary guard, then I'm not really seeing any reason why, from a defensive ability standpoint, she can't be held to a higher standard. No one's saying that she has to lock up Arike Ogunbowale for an entire game, but slowing her down for stretches/getting a game-changing defense stop on a player like that should be an expectation for a player who is to be heavily featured in MVP talks in the future. There are two sides to basketball.

And before anyone mentions it, Nikola Jokic (3x NBA MVP) is considered to be an average defender.

 

[cancontent]

Agreed. The Fever as a team likely aren’t ever going to have a great defense as currently constructed. Aside from Clark, Mitchell is quick but small and gets caught ball-watching. Even Boston, who was arguably a generationally good post defender in college, has some limitations on defense due to her athleticism. Do not get me started on NaLyssa Smith’s defense although she’s likely elsewhere next year.

I think Steph White is a good match for the Fever for many reasons, defensive improvement being just one. But if the Fever are going to win a title I think it’s more likely to be because their defense became serviceable rather than elite.

Which would be a large improvement in the first place. Baby steps.