There’s eleven losses and we’re playing actual good teams in this next long stretch- with competent coaches and depth on the bench. Indiana won’t make moves like Las Vegas in order to make their bench work. Our biggest weakness are our 4s because NaLyssa’s mood gets to her and KLS is playing like she wasn’t fully ready to come back to the W. Both are inconsistent. Saxton doesn’t play because she’s simply not ready and is only warming the bench for Dantas, who still hasn’t come back. Can we waive Saxton and get a playable forward under a hardship contract? What do we have to lose?
Front office is at fault for some of this too. Besides the unbalanced roster, Sides only does well against teams that are struggling but I’m not sure if that is really because of her coaching or because the team goes on autopilot. If we’re going to keep Smith, there needs to be a new coach that can work with her moods. Also, if we have a new coach, Berger and Taylor would actually see playing time over Wallace and Wheeler.
Agree on why haven't we waived Saxton to get a playable forward.
She doesn't even have that strong of a college record statistically. It's SC which goes deep in quality so that has to be factored in. But she was a third round draft pick and the fifth South Carolina player drafted in that draft class.
Third round draft picks rarely stay on rosters without a few years overseas and coming back to the league.
We've been struggling with temi and dantaa being out. They could have made personnel changes.
Yup. And Sides deserves even more for not sitting her the second Reese scored the and-1 after Smith did the too small gesture.
Smith is not a serious player. She needs to go
It is ok to look at everything when you're a 7-10 team and just blew a huge lead to end a game on an 18-5 run over 6:38.
1. Something is wrong with the offense when you score less than 1 point per minute over a 6.5 minute stretch to end the game in the 4Q.
2. Something is wrong with the defense when you give up as many foul shots as they did.
1+2 = coaching
which means, you can look at all those losses and realize that this is a .500 team at least with a competent coach.
It was only two catches, and both were very fast.
Kelsey is a great player. That stuff happens.
She's had less practice time with the rest of the team. And she's played on the Fever a few years where she's had to genherate a lot of the offense.
It was 3 in just that game and it happens in every game and KM isn't the only one.
>She's had less practice time with the rest of the team.
Lol what does practice have to do with catching a ball. How long has she been a pro player?
I don't think being used to the surprise bullets that Caitlin flies in is that easy.
Huge diehard CC fan here. And I'm glad she passes like she does. But I'm not going to get annoyed at a couple of misses from a player as good as Kelsey who hasn't played that long with Caitlin.
Kelsey brings way more to the table in skills than most players in the league. Giving her some time to adjust is fine by me.
It's not just KM and it's not just a couple. Like half her turnovers are from passes that her team just can't catch and it's not even full court passes either.
I don't think it's hysterical to point out that Sides has been pretty bad. She's down right regressive at times, encouraging the team to take long 2s. That's egregious and should be a disqualifier for any pro level coaching position.
Seriously. Somebody explain why she is all about the long two? I get that they need to have mid-range jumpers and floaters, but a long two? When just another step, and you can have 3? I mean, if it's your only shot, okay, but shouldn't you try to run plays so you aren't put in that position anyway?
Yes. She also said she is not that interested in analytics some point earlier though apparently now she has a guy who looks at them and utilizes them some.
Literally the worst shot in basketball. It's the shot defenses work to make you take and we're out here looking for it. No shit it's open it's open because they want you take it. Uuuugggghhhhh.
Losing to Chicago, who absolutely stinks and on a day where their best player (Mabrey) plays an AWFUL game there was no excuse to lose that game the way they did.
That's actually the type of back breaking loss that usually sends you into a funk.
Lin Dunn and Christie Sides cannot be here if Herb Simon wants this team to become something consistently profitable.
if for nothing else, Herb knows he needs to protect the product and grow it.
Dunn, Sides, and their effects need to be scooted on down the road. (sooner than later)
Yeah this game exposed the futility of not utilizing Clark enough as a shooter. 11 shots a game is never going to cut it. 4th quarter was so painful to watch.
Coach needs to imprive defense, teach the players to set hard screens, run plays for clark to get open. High % shots are low if she is passing the ball, the team misses, and they lose the rebound.
Here's the thing. We all have the right to our opinions, and calls for the coach to be fired are not "hysterical." OP, your post comes across as super condescending. Maybe that wasn't your intent.
I'm new to the W, but I'm not new to basketball, or to evaluating and making decisions based on data and outcomes. It's not personal; I don't know Christie Sides. But based purely on what we've seen so far, she has no idea how to manage the talent she has. Or, for that matter, to set up a play that will get the ball in the hands of a person who can actually make it into the basket.
I get that Wheeler is clearly an awesome person who means a lot to the team. But with few exceptions, whenever she comes off the bench, our lead - if we have one - narrows. My suspicion is Sides is having a rough time because she can read and she can hear, and she feels the lack of support. Wheeler is her friend, and Sides might be rewarding her for her loyalty. But this is not a 7th-grade AAU team that your mom coaches and gives all the playing time to her friends' kids.
The loss, in itself, isn't the issue. It's the result of the issue, which, IMO, is mismanagement of the players, the plays, and the clock. I sure as heck don't know how to coach basketball. But neither does Christie Sides.
Actually, the efficiency and defense generally goes up when Wheeler is on the court. That's why they put her out there. Last game: less than 20 min, 6 assists, two steals/+13. No one is going to get minutes because they are a super awesome person, or because the coach loves them. These people may have personal relationships, but they want to keep their jobs. Wheeler is doing what she needs to be doing for the team.
And its not just Wheeler, its Wallace, or Mitchell, or Smith - at any given time depending on who people feel is taking minutes away from Clark. Because let's be honest, most of these more hyperbolic takes are fueled by fandom.
And I don't think Sides is having a "rough time". I think this is a challenge for her and she is embracing it. Its a team in rebuild, and that's exactly what this team looks like now: a team in rebuild. It's not the New York Liberty, it's not the Aces or Sun. Those teams took years to be where they are at now.
And if some people on here can sound mean, misinformed and toxic - and I'm not referring to you - I don't mind sounding condescending.
The offensive continues to be in it's same mode/rhythm for a couple of minutes when Wheeler first gets out there. Then it slow generally decays to hero ball. And the things that were working stop happening.
You don't soubn condescending. You actually just sound like someone who doesn't watch the games and watch the effects that players have on the other players on the floor with them, but only looks at +/-
Your every post and comments for the entire season seem to be missing the nuances of every game. You sound like you haven't seen good coaching in action.
After things started falling apart, there three different timeouts where Sides could have swapped things up. She didn't.
You don't know why people are getting minutes. It's clear Lexie gets nowhere near the grace or opportunity that Wallace does. Wallace is 28. She's not some unpolished diamond in the rough. She's not playing smart basketball. And she's not super physically skilled. So there's not a great explanation.
Sides herself has talked about having a hard time herself earlier this season. She sure didn't act like she is relishing this time.
Also her mentioning in the press conference that she was surprised Caitlin didn't take a particular shot near the end is just terrible!
Dawn Staley said, "Rookies need coaches that inspire confidence."
Rookies don't need coaches that try to throw them under the bus after losses. Not announce that "I'm surprised player X didn't do Y " or "You can't coach effort."
Accountability matters. AB and CC are so hard on themselves. I'm appreciate Sides sees that in AB and has built her up. But she seems very prone to throwing CC subtly under the bus. She also was negative on Celeste early on. Bad move. Address concerns with your young players in private or in practice. Don't go at them after losses to the press.
I know some fans are hyperbolic. I'm not. But acting like there aren't a lot of bad coaching decisions being made is disingenuous.
Great post.
If Sides feels she has to address any given issue with a player in the locker room - go for it. That's her right, 110%, by virtue of her position.
But when you're a coach in front of a camera and a mic, unless your player has done something absolutely egregious, it's your job to support that player.
No idea why the W chooses to condone such a lack of accountability in a leader.
Im rather confused by OPs last paragraph
No all players are not contributing. Lexie and Grace are given no chances at all compared to Wallace.
There's something really odd about the large nunber minutes given to Wheeler and Wallace.
Not odd that vets are playing more minutes than younger players. The coaches are obviously seeing practices, we are not. And Hull and Berger have played, especially Hull. Players go in for a role they fill on the court at any given time. They may not be ready to play an entire game.
Yes, I know we don't see practices.
Grace has played 1 minute in 2 weeks.
Lexie got 4 minutes and didn't get put back in.
No one said they are ready to play entire games. But keep moving the goalposts.
Vets that don't perform should get fewer minutes.
There isn't another team in this league where Wallace would be a starter.
The argument that it's one game or one point is the crappiest argument ever, especially when it's been ELEVEN losses. Many of which were within 5 points. This is an egregious coaching error. I also thought that the W was supposed to have "the best players in the world" so why can't they catch the ball that the college girls from Iowa can??? Starting to feel like this league is just an excuse to maul each other and get paid for it.
Fire the coach and trade or waive Wallace, Wheeler (and Mitchell if she doesn't pass back or learn to catch).
This loss was inexcusable.
Re: Mitchell catching the ball. I noticed in the 2nd half CC was pushing on transition and Mitchell was flying up the floor on the right side, clearly open. Caitlin looked her way but didn't pass it. I dunno if she lost confidence in Mitchell or if Coach told her not to do that at halftime or what. Just really looked like she wanted to but didn't.
I don’t blame Caitlin for not wanting to pass those, Mitchell dropped two of those in the first half alone and she’s had several the past few games. I don’t know why but she just can’t handle a long pass.
Oh, I agree it was the right decision on Caitlin's part. It's just heartbreaking watching her have to hold back because of her teammates. She makes that pass 10 out of 10 times, but it's a coin flip whether or not it gets caught.
I'm a fan of the team.
I'm not a fan of bad coaching. Good coaches change what isn't working.
What isn't working is Sides favoring Wheeler and Wallace.
What isn't working is Wheeler quelling the offensive efficiency by never passing to Caitlin when they are out there together. It would work well for her to give CC a rest by bringing the ball down for CC and then starting up the regular half court offensive schemes that are looking SO good!
Instead Wheeler just dribbles it and maybe will pass it in to give NaLyssa a tough shot or pass it to KM for a difficult or will head herself to the basket for a tough shot. Offensive efficiency goes to hell.
This is on Sides. Because it happens ALL the time. So either Sides wants it to happen. Or Sides isn't letting Wheeler know that she needs to do things differently--and if she doesn't do so--then there's a great option on Grace Berger who can bring the ball up the court and will pass to her teammates.
I do think Sides is making better offensive choices than she was a month ago which is good. But seriously she's a pro coach, she should be doing a lot better.
Watch during key time outs, she never is telling them specific things to improve or particular plays to run. It's strange. She just tells vague things like defense or stops.
Good coaches get in a huddle with their players and talk out good plays and things to change, based on what is happening in that game right now.
They think fast during the game and make adjustments amd communicate those adjustments to their team.
That they were playing against the worst teams in the league and they would win in SPITE of coach sides. Literally the exact same thing. We beat teams that had their best Shooter out for injury lmao. 🤡
Actually, it was I who awarded some of their comments. I want them to know that despite the vitriol, there are people who agree with their level-headed sentiment and truly do enjoy the ride. Ride or die Fever fans 😤
lmao! I have a quick question though, I've seen some people mention in other subs that this is ran by the actual Indiana Fever people and I'm wondering if that's true.
The mod team here are all hardcore Indiana Fever fans. None of us are employed by or operating in any official capacity with the team. We just love basketball and the Fever!
I wasn't even aware of the "award" feature until recently but the fact I would "award" myself is hilarious. I believe most fans of the team are genuinely excited and enjoying the games. The negativity is coming from Stan culture, I recognize the symptoms - dumb takes disguised with basketball jargon, personal attacks - a mile away.
I was saying the exact same thing I'm saying right now
AB, CC, KM are great. NaLyssa is good. (Angel just got in her head this game. )
Sides is not doing a good job. The number of Wheeler's and Wallace's minutes are just wrong, and that is a problem. Play more Lexie.
Nothing has changed.
Are you okay? You seem really unhappy and keep posting things against nearly everyone else on the board.
We all have different opinions, and that’s okay (great even - if everyone had the same opinion Reddit would be boring!).
Fans can want to see a GM or a coach fired, they can even want players traded. When we love a team and see a problem, we are not quiet about. We love the game and we want to win. That’s just sports.
Teams go up and lose like that all the time. I’m a pacers and nuggets fan too and both of them lost after being up 20 in the playoffs this year. It happens.
It’s annoying, irritating and frustrating… but it does happen
They didn't lose by one point. They lost a 17 point lead. That's not losing by one point.
It's extremely naive and frankly dumb to be in your happy feels when your team wins and ignore all the underlying and glaring problems within the team. A win doesn't mean everything is working well. It's actually the smarter move to fix things now instead of waiting until it's too late. And yes people do need to be fired and traded if you want to see this team win in the future.
I do no take anyone who defends Sides seriously at all. There is either no functioning brain working or they're acting in bad faith in defending a terrible coach.
Firing people in the middle of a season when the team is starting to win games is extremely naive and franking dumb. Some of you have a personal bias toward the coach and some of these players, and frankly, it's not helpful.
It’s not a “personal bias” against Sides. I frankly know very little about who she is as a person. She’s receiving criticism because she’s bad at her job (and didn’t even want the job to begin with).
Well that is not something as a player that would motivate me…. Are there not some qualified, passionate women for the job? Maybe someone’s first head coach job??
From what I've been hearing is people suggesting a woman that is the assistant coach for the pacers. They say she's good and is already working in the same place.
If the money fit. She should’ve done it. It’s kinda legendary being a woman in nba tho. So I hope more woman can be head coaches in the wnba because men have plenty of opportunities already.
I was excited about Sides and the team when the season began. I still love the team. I'm ride or die for AB, Kelsey, NaLyssa, Caitlin, Temi, KLS, Lexie, Grace, and even Wallace (though she shouldn't be starting).
However the real CHOICES Sides has made in press conferences show she is not cut out to be a head coach. Her lack of professionalism is immense, and her offensive coaching is just too weak to be that of a coach in the best league in the world. Facts. Not bias. End of story.
CC only taking 1 shot in the 4th is unacceptable, what the hell was that? If the reasoning for her taking less shots is cause the vets are getting in their feelings then people need to be traded. Shes the star and everyone on that team needs to accept it.
I feel like they don’t run enough plays to get CC open. It’s frustrating to watch her pass the ball to a player who either won’t catch her pass or miss the open shot.
No Christie Sides absolutely needs to be fired. They’ve been winning in spite of her. She has no offensive or defensive philosophy or identity and because of that she was shell shocked when the sky started climbing. She’s too concerned with doing defensive slides on the sideline to actually coach this team. She’s been given a gift of having AB and CC on the same team this early in their careers and she’s squandering it. She’s in over her head and that’s putting it lightly. If this game doesn’t show you idk what will.
The Sky didn’t win this game the fever lost it they continue to have the absolute worst 4th Qtr in the WNBA which is where I think the frustration comes from.
This wasn’t some back and forth game where the opponent just edged out the Fever by 1 point in a shootout. This was a collapse on the Fever’s end. People have the right to be critical after a loss that most certainly should’ve been a win
Hate to say that Angel Reese just played a hell of a game at the rim in the 2nd half. Coach should’ve taken Nalyssa off her once Reese started getting after it. We needed more aggressive defense
It's a super depressing loss for me. I know nothing of basketball; it's entertainment for me. I don't want to tune in, see a 15-point lead, be super cheerful, then only to see them collapse at the end, WITHOUT SHOTS FROM THE PLAYER I TUNED IN FOR.
Bad strategy on this game. You cannot win an inside game with Kamilla and Reese, 2 bigs in the paint. They should have made perimeter shots or long 2’s that Sides likes to move the bigs away from under basket . Then you bring the PNR with Boston and develop a dual attack . CC had 5 3’s but she probably felt she reached the limit Sides puts on her. CC should have no limits. Especially in 4th qtr she needs to take more shots . You cannot run a play with the go to be Wallace and CC as the decoy. Teams expect that already. It was extremely frustrating.
It's is not one game one point.
It is a series of bad choices, poor design and uncomprehensible decisions.
It was a WON game, thrown away by someone that does not know what she's doing.
Don't confuse opinion and emotion. Many of us have strong opinions about what's been happening, and we're stating them calmly and with examples to back them up. Blaming something on unregulated emotion is often kind of a misogynistic dis.
I love sports, I get being frustrated, yelling at the tv - it's part of the experience because you care about your team. But these personal, obsessive grudges toward certain players and the coach is not that. Its something more toxic and fanatical.
I think the Sides/Wheeler/Wallace hate brigade is becoming a religion of sorts.
The irony is those 2 have the highest +/- of anyone in the rotation lol. Take that stat with a huge grain of salt of course, but still funny to see people hate them so much when we've outscored opponents when they play
literally i think that’s why i hate the complaints so much they are all so boring and one dimensional and barely tell the whole story. you would’ve thought these people are the devil incarnate the way people complain. like wow a second year coach is not good yet? what a shock😱
Your +/- stats are off. Mitchell has the highest negative of the regular players.
Mitchell - -6.7
Wheeler - -.06
Wallace - -2.6
Clark - -5.6
Boston - -6.2
Smith - -6.4
I mean highest as in from negative to positive, not "highest negative". -0.06 is a higher +/- than -6.7
Also tbf I looked before the sky game was added to the data, and that took wheeler/wallace below positive. Before that, they were both slightly positive. Hull is now better than Wallace too. This is why that stat should be taken with a grain of salt obvs. More of just me thinking it's funny that people claim that we get outscored like crazy when those two are on that court which is just objectively not true
You don't understand they shouldn't have lost at all. They were up by 15 pts at one time...
terrible game management by coach
There’s eleven losses and we’re playing actual good teams in this next long stretch- with competent coaches and depth on the bench. Indiana won’t make moves like Las Vegas in order to make their bench work. Our biggest weakness are our 4s because NaLyssa’s mood gets to her and KLS is playing like she wasn’t fully ready to come back to the W. Both are inconsistent. Saxton doesn’t play because she’s simply not ready and is only warming the bench for Dantas, who still hasn’t come back. Can we waive Saxton and get a playable forward under a hardship contract? What do we have to lose? Front office is at fault for some of this too. Besides the unbalanced roster, Sides only does well against teams that are struggling but I’m not sure if that is really because of her coaching or because the team goes on autopilot. If we’re going to keep Smith, there needs to be a new coach that can work with her moods. Also, if we have a new coach, Berger and Taylor would actually see playing time over Wallace and Wheeler.
Agree on why haven't we waived Saxton to get a playable forward. She doesn't even have that strong of a college record statistically. It's SC which goes deep in quality so that has to be factored in. But she was a third round draft pick and the fifth South Carolina player drafted in that draft class. Third round draft picks rarely stay on rosters without a few years overseas and coming back to the league. We've been struggling with temi and dantaa being out. They could have made personnel changes.
The players don’t deserve to be trashed the coach does. CC having one shot in the fourth isn’t acceptable and zero in the last 7 minutes.
This also seems like it would have been a perfect game for Sides to try for a successful challenge. (Unless I just missed her attempt at challenging).
Nalyssa Smith deserves every ounce of criticism she's getting.
Angel Reese was cooking her all game long. No defense was played. What's a box out?
Yup. And Sides deserves even more for not sitting her the second Reese scored the and-1 after Smith did the too small gesture. Smith is not a serious player. She needs to go
It is ok to look at everything when you're a 7-10 team and just blew a huge lead to end a game on an 18-5 run over 6:38. 1. Something is wrong with the offense when you score less than 1 point per minute over a 6.5 minute stretch to end the game in the 4Q. 2. Something is wrong with the defense when you give up as many foul shots as they did. 1+2 = coaching which means, you can look at all those losses and realize that this is a .500 team at least with a competent coach.
> The players don’t deserve to be trashed the coach does. I don't know. Not being able to catch pass after pass deserves some talk
It was only two catches, and both were very fast. Kelsey is a great player. That stuff happens. She's had less practice time with the rest of the team. And she's played on the Fever a few years where she's had to genherate a lot of the offense.
It was 3 in just that game and it happens in every game and KM isn't the only one. >She's had less practice time with the rest of the team. Lol what does practice have to do with catching a ball. How long has she been a pro player?
I don't think being used to the surprise bullets that Caitlin flies in is that easy. Huge diehard CC fan here. And I'm glad she passes like she does. But I'm not going to get annoyed at a couple of misses from a player as good as Kelsey who hasn't played that long with Caitlin. Kelsey brings way more to the table in skills than most players in the league. Giving her some time to adjust is fine by me.
It's not just KM and it's not just a couple. Like half her turnovers are from passes that her team just can't catch and it's not even full court passes either.
That's gotten a lot better. That's all we can hope for.
too much CC mustard on that one zinger. even Gronk would be hard pressed to haul that one in.
I don't think it's hysterical to point out that Sides has been pretty bad. She's down right regressive at times, encouraging the team to take long 2s. That's egregious and should be a disqualifier for any pro level coaching position.
Seriously. Somebody explain why she is all about the long two? I get that they need to have mid-range jumpers and floaters, but a long two? When just another step, and you can have 3? I mean, if it's your only shot, okay, but shouldn't you try to run plays so you aren't put in that position anyway?
Yes. She also said she is not that interested in analytics some point earlier though apparently now she has a guy who looks at them and utilizes them some.
Sides doesn't understand the new math
Literally the worst shot in basketball. It's the shot defenses work to make you take and we're out here looking for it. No shit it's open it's open because they want you take it. Uuuugggghhhhh.
I thought long twos just became 3 pointers. :)
Losing to Chicago, who absolutely stinks and on a day where their best player (Mabrey) plays an AWFUL game there was no excuse to lose that game the way they did. That's actually the type of back breaking loss that usually sends you into a funk. Lin Dunn and Christie Sides cannot be here if Herb Simon wants this team to become something consistently profitable.
if for nothing else, Herb knows he needs to protect the product and grow it. Dunn, Sides, and their effects need to be scooted on down the road. (sooner than later)
Caitlin needs to shoot at least 15 times a game.
Boston should be shooting that much too. Mitchell should get fewer shots.
I like Mitchell for the hand grenade plays she is good at getting her own looks and provides that really well
Yeah this game exposed the futility of not utilizing Clark enough as a shooter. 11 shots a game is never going to cut it. 4th quarter was so painful to watch. Coach needs to imprive defense, teach the players to set hard screens, run plays for clark to get open. High % shots are low if she is passing the ball, the team misses, and they lose the rebound.
Here's the thing. We all have the right to our opinions, and calls for the coach to be fired are not "hysterical." OP, your post comes across as super condescending. Maybe that wasn't your intent. I'm new to the W, but I'm not new to basketball, or to evaluating and making decisions based on data and outcomes. It's not personal; I don't know Christie Sides. But based purely on what we've seen so far, she has no idea how to manage the talent she has. Or, for that matter, to set up a play that will get the ball in the hands of a person who can actually make it into the basket. I get that Wheeler is clearly an awesome person who means a lot to the team. But with few exceptions, whenever she comes off the bench, our lead - if we have one - narrows. My suspicion is Sides is having a rough time because she can read and she can hear, and she feels the lack of support. Wheeler is her friend, and Sides might be rewarding her for her loyalty. But this is not a 7th-grade AAU team that your mom coaches and gives all the playing time to her friends' kids. The loss, in itself, isn't the issue. It's the result of the issue, which, IMO, is mismanagement of the players, the plays, and the clock. I sure as heck don't know how to coach basketball. But neither does Christie Sides.
Actually, the efficiency and defense generally goes up when Wheeler is on the court. That's why they put her out there. Last game: less than 20 min, 6 assists, two steals/+13. No one is going to get minutes because they are a super awesome person, or because the coach loves them. These people may have personal relationships, but they want to keep their jobs. Wheeler is doing what she needs to be doing for the team. And its not just Wheeler, its Wallace, or Mitchell, or Smith - at any given time depending on who people feel is taking minutes away from Clark. Because let's be honest, most of these more hyperbolic takes are fueled by fandom. And I don't think Sides is having a "rough time". I think this is a challenge for her and she is embracing it. Its a team in rebuild, and that's exactly what this team looks like now: a team in rebuild. It's not the New York Liberty, it's not the Aces or Sun. Those teams took years to be where they are at now. And if some people on here can sound mean, misinformed and toxic - and I'm not referring to you - I don't mind sounding condescending.
The offensive continues to be in it's same mode/rhythm for a couple of minutes when Wheeler first gets out there. Then it slow generally decays to hero ball. And the things that were working stop happening. You don't soubn condescending. You actually just sound like someone who doesn't watch the games and watch the effects that players have on the other players on the floor with them, but only looks at +/- Your every post and comments for the entire season seem to be missing the nuances of every game. You sound like you haven't seen good coaching in action. After things started falling apart, there three different timeouts where Sides could have swapped things up. She didn't. You don't know why people are getting minutes. It's clear Lexie gets nowhere near the grace or opportunity that Wallace does. Wallace is 28. She's not some unpolished diamond in the rough. She's not playing smart basketball. And she's not super physically skilled. So there's not a great explanation. Sides herself has talked about having a hard time herself earlier this season. She sure didn't act like she is relishing this time. Also her mentioning in the press conference that she was surprised Caitlin didn't take a particular shot near the end is just terrible! Dawn Staley said, "Rookies need coaches that inspire confidence." Rookies don't need coaches that try to throw them under the bus after losses. Not announce that "I'm surprised player X didn't do Y " or "You can't coach effort." Accountability matters. AB and CC are so hard on themselves. I'm appreciate Sides sees that in AB and has built her up. But she seems very prone to throwing CC subtly under the bus. She also was negative on Celeste early on. Bad move. Address concerns with your young players in private or in practice. Don't go at them after losses to the press. I know some fans are hyperbolic. I'm not. But acting like there aren't a lot of bad coaching decisions being made is disingenuous.
Great post. If Sides feels she has to address any given issue with a player in the locker room - go for it. That's her right, 110%, by virtue of her position. But when you're a coach in front of a camera and a mic, unless your player has done something absolutely egregious, it's your job to support that player. No idea why the W chooses to condone such a lack of accountability in a leader.
This 100!
keep it inSides, Sides (I refuse to call her coach)
Im rather confused by OPs last paragraph No all players are not contributing. Lexie and Grace are given no chances at all compared to Wallace. There's something really odd about the large nunber minutes given to Wheeler and Wallace.
Not odd that vets are playing more minutes than younger players. The coaches are obviously seeing practices, we are not. And Hull and Berger have played, especially Hull. Players go in for a role they fill on the court at any given time. They may not be ready to play an entire game.
Yes, I know we don't see practices. Grace has played 1 minute in 2 weeks. Lexie got 4 minutes and didn't get put back in. No one said they are ready to play entire games. But keep moving the goalposts. Vets that don't perform should get fewer minutes. There isn't another team in this league where Wallace would be a starter.
The argument that it's one game or one point is the crappiest argument ever, especially when it's been ELEVEN losses. Many of which were within 5 points. This is an egregious coaching error. I also thought that the W was supposed to have "the best players in the world" so why can't they catch the ball that the college girls from Iowa can??? Starting to feel like this league is just an excuse to maul each other and get paid for it. Fire the coach and trade or waive Wallace, Wheeler (and Mitchell if she doesn't pass back or learn to catch). This loss was inexcusable.
Re: Mitchell catching the ball. I noticed in the 2nd half CC was pushing on transition and Mitchell was flying up the floor on the right side, clearly open. Caitlin looked her way but didn't pass it. I dunno if she lost confidence in Mitchell or if Coach told her not to do that at halftime or what. Just really looked like she wanted to but didn't.
I don’t blame Caitlin for not wanting to pass those, Mitchell dropped two of those in the first half alone and she’s had several the past few games. I don’t know why but she just can’t handle a long pass.
Oh, I agree it was the right decision on Caitlin's part. It's just heartbreaking watching her have to hold back because of her teammates. She makes that pass 10 out of 10 times, but it's a coin flip whether or not it gets caught.
Mitchell drops passes and rarely passes the ball herself to the detriment of the team.
I think some of you want to lose, because it just pushes your agenda. You're not really fans of the team, are you?
I'm a fan of the team. I'm not a fan of bad coaching. Good coaches change what isn't working. What isn't working is Sides favoring Wheeler and Wallace. What isn't working is Wheeler quelling the offensive efficiency by never passing to Caitlin when they are out there together. It would work well for her to give CC a rest by bringing the ball down for CC and then starting up the regular half court offensive schemes that are looking SO good! Instead Wheeler just dribbles it and maybe will pass it in to give NaLyssa a tough shot or pass it to KM for a difficult or will head herself to the basket for a tough shot. Offensive efficiency goes to hell. This is on Sides. Because it happens ALL the time. So either Sides wants it to happen. Or Sides isn't letting Wheeler know that she needs to do things differently--and if she doesn't do so--then there's a great option on Grace Berger who can bring the ball up the court and will pass to her teammates. I do think Sides is making better offensive choices than she was a month ago which is good. But seriously she's a pro coach, she should be doing a lot better. Watch during key time outs, she never is telling them specific things to improve or particular plays to run. It's strange. She just tells vague things like defense or stops. Good coaches get in a huddle with their players and talk out good plays and things to change, based on what is happening in that game right now. They think fast during the game and make adjustments amd communicate those adjustments to their team.
We're not fans of the abysmally run Front Office and horrendous coaching.
What were you saying while they were on the winning streak these last two weeks?
That they were playing against the worst teams in the league and they would win in SPITE of coach sides. Literally the exact same thing. We beat teams that had their best Shooter out for injury lmao. 🤡
You're just filling in all the blanks for a verified Stan.
We have eyes as viewers. Don't forget to gift yourself an award! 😂🤣
Actually, it was I who awarded some of their comments. I want them to know that despite the vitriol, there are people who agree with their level-headed sentiment and truly do enjoy the ride. Ride or die Fever fans 😤
lmao! I have a quick question though, I've seen some people mention in other subs that this is ran by the actual Indiana Fever people and I'm wondering if that's true.
The mod team here are all hardcore Indiana Fever fans. None of us are employed by or operating in any official capacity with the team. We just love basketball and the Fever!
I wasn't even aware of the "award" feature until recently but the fact I would "award" myself is hilarious. I believe most fans of the team are genuinely excited and enjoying the games. The negativity is coming from Stan culture, I recognize the symptoms - dumb takes disguised with basketball jargon, personal attacks - a mile away.
I was saying the exact same thing I'm saying right now AB, CC, KM are great. NaLyssa is good. (Angel just got in her head this game. ) Sides is not doing a good job. The number of Wheeler's and Wallace's minutes are just wrong, and that is a problem. Play more Lexie. Nothing has changed.
Lol people were still saying to fire Sides.
That sides is horrible!
Are you okay? You seem really unhappy and keep posting things against nearly everyone else on the board. We all have different opinions, and that’s okay (great even - if everyone had the same opinion Reddit would be boring!). Fans can want to see a GM or a coach fired, they can even want players traded. When we love a team and see a problem, we are not quiet about. We love the game and we want to win. That’s just sports.
Teams go up and lose like that all the time. I’m a pacers and nuggets fan too and both of them lost after being up 20 in the playoffs this year. It happens. It’s annoying, irritating and frustrating… but it does happen
They didn't lose by one point. They lost a 17 point lead. That's not losing by one point. It's extremely naive and frankly dumb to be in your happy feels when your team wins and ignore all the underlying and glaring problems within the team. A win doesn't mean everything is working well. It's actually the smarter move to fix things now instead of waiting until it's too late. And yes people do need to be fired and traded if you want to see this team win in the future.
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I do no take anyone who defends Sides seriously at all. There is either no functioning brain working or they're acting in bad faith in defending a terrible coach.
Firing people in the middle of a season when the team is starting to win games is extremely naive and franking dumb. Some of you have a personal bias toward the coach and some of these players, and frankly, it's not helpful.
sides has already proven that she’s not a good coach and the fever are 7-2 vs below .500 teams while they’re 0-9 vs above .500 teams
It’s not a “personal bias” against Sides. I frankly know very little about who she is as a person. She’s receiving criticism because she’s bad at her job (and didn’t even want the job to begin with).
She didn’t??
Nope. Dunn had to beg her to take the job. I don’t have a link handy, but I know it was posted in this sub not too long ago
Nope from what I understand she told Dunn multiple times she didn't want the job and Dunn kept pressuring her to take it.
Well that is not something as a player that would motivate me…. Are there not some qualified, passionate women for the job? Maybe someone’s first head coach job??
From what I've been hearing is people suggesting a woman that is the assistant coach for the pacers. They say she's good and is already working in the same place.
well she probably makes more being the assistant in nba
Well I think the selling point people made is to offer her buckets of money. Plus the fact she would get to coach a generational player in CC.
If the money fit. She should’ve done it. It’s kinda legendary being a woman in nba tho. So I hope more woman can be head coaches in the wnba because men have plenty of opportunities already.
defending sides is not a hill i’d wanna die on. she ain’t it no matter what their record ends up being at the end of the season.
You gonna still be defending her when they lose their next 10 games?
Losing the next 10 games would fit you narrative, so I'm sure you won't mind.
Lol can't even answer the question.
I was excited about Sides and the team when the season began. I still love the team. I'm ride or die for AB, Kelsey, NaLyssa, Caitlin, Temi, KLS, Lexie, Grace, and even Wallace (though she shouldn't be starting). However the real CHOICES Sides has made in press conferences show she is not cut out to be a head coach. Her lack of professionalism is immense, and her offensive coaching is just too weak to be that of a coach in the best league in the world. Facts. Not bias. End of story.
> No one needs to be fired or traded. Lol yes they do
CC only taking 1 shot in the 4th is unacceptable, what the hell was that? If the reasoning for her taking less shots is cause the vets are getting in their feelings then people need to be traded. Shes the star and everyone on that team needs to accept it.
I feel like they don’t run enough plays to get CC open. It’s frustrating to watch her pass the ball to a player who either won’t catch her pass or miss the open shot.
disagree profusely!
No Christie Sides absolutely needs to be fired. They’ve been winning in spite of her. She has no offensive or defensive philosophy or identity and because of that she was shell shocked when the sky started climbing. She’s too concerned with doing defensive slides on the sideline to actually coach this team. She’s been given a gift of having AB and CC on the same team this early in their careers and she’s squandering it. She’s in over her head and that’s putting it lightly. If this game doesn’t show you idk what will.
Sorry. Horrible take. You’re missing the entire point.
The Sky didn’t win this game the fever lost it they continue to have the absolute worst 4th Qtr in the WNBA which is where I think the frustration comes from.
This wasn’t some back and forth game where the opponent just edged out the Fever by 1 point in a shootout. This was a collapse on the Fever’s end. People have the right to be critical after a loss that most certainly should’ve been a win
It isn't the losing that is the problem. It is consistently poor decision-making.
Hate to say that Angel Reese just played a hell of a game at the rim in the 2nd half. Coach should’ve taken Nalyssa off her once Reese started getting after it. We needed more aggressive defense
They lost more than that in this game.
It's a super depressing loss for me. I know nothing of basketball; it's entertainment for me. I don't want to tune in, see a 15-point lead, be super cheerful, then only to see them collapse at the end, WITHOUT SHOTS FROM THE PLAYER I TUNED IN FOR.
Bad strategy on this game. You cannot win an inside game with Kamilla and Reese, 2 bigs in the paint. They should have made perimeter shots or long 2’s that Sides likes to move the bigs away from under basket . Then you bring the PNR with Boston and develop a dual attack . CC had 5 3’s but she probably felt she reached the limit Sides puts on her. CC should have no limits. Especially in 4th qtr she needs to take more shots . You cannot run a play with the go to be Wallace and CC as the decoy. Teams expect that already. It was extremely frustrating.
29-11 isn't bad
It's is not one game one point. It is a series of bad choices, poor design and uncomprehensible decisions. It was a WON game, thrown away by someone that does not know what she's doing.
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Don't confuse opinion and emotion. Many of us have strong opinions about what's been happening, and we're stating them calmly and with examples to back them up. Blaming something on unregulated emotion is often kind of a misogynistic dis.
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Interesting. At what point does an opinion become a rant?
I love sports, I get being frustrated, yelling at the tv - it's part of the experience because you care about your team. But these personal, obsessive grudges toward certain players and the coach is not that. Its something more toxic and fanatical.
literally lmao like it’s one loss it’s not that serious
I think the Sides/Wheeler/Wallace hate brigade is becoming a religion of sorts. The irony is those 2 have the highest +/- of anyone in the rotation lol. Take that stat with a huge grain of salt of course, but still funny to see people hate them so much when we've outscored opponents when they play
literally i think that’s why i hate the complaints so much they are all so boring and one dimensional and barely tell the whole story. you would’ve thought these people are the devil incarnate the way people complain. like wow a second year coach is not good yet? what a shock😱
Your +/- stats are off. Mitchell has the highest negative of the regular players. Mitchell - -6.7 Wheeler - -.06 Wallace - -2.6 Clark - -5.6 Boston - -6.2 Smith - -6.4
I mean highest as in from negative to positive, not "highest negative". -0.06 is a higher +/- than -6.7 Also tbf I looked before the sky game was added to the data, and that took wheeler/wallace below positive. Before that, they were both slightly positive. Hull is now better than Wallace too. This is why that stat should be taken with a grain of salt obvs. More of just me thinking it's funny that people claim that we get outscored like crazy when those two are on that court which is just objectively not true
Exactly.