In a significant shift during the game, Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides chose to bench her starters early in the third quarter. The decision came as the team was trailing the Connecticut Sun by a substantial margin of nearly 30 points. The game ultimately ended with Connecticut defeating Indiana 89-72, further deepening the Fever’s season record to 3-10.
Christie Sides should be fired today, she really started Kristy Wallace (5’11) who’s a horrible defender and put her on Bonner (6’4) who proceeded to drop 15 points in the first half.
Such incompetent coaching who only plays favorites, this is coaching malpractice…
🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/4H3J3YIlZR
— Law Donicick | 📊 CC = 🐐 (@TLaww22) June 11, 2024
The only player among the starters who saw more than 22 minutes of game time was second-year standout Aliyah Boston. She delivered a commendable performance with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. The rest of the starting lineup, including notable players such as Caitlin Clark, NaLyssa Smith, Kelsey Mitchell, and Kristy Wallace, spent the majority of the second half on the bench.
Coach Sides emphasized that the lack of defensive effort was the primary reason behind her decision to pull the starters. In her post-game remarks, she pointed out the difficulty of coaching effort at a professional level, expressing frustration over having to encourage continued hard play. Her strategy was to introduce a lineup that would energetically defend and reduce the deficit, which they managed to do to some extent.
Christie Sides on the biggest problem defensively tonight: “I’m gonna start with—you can’t at this level coach effort. I felt like we were just asking them to keep playing hard… you can’t play in this league if you have to coach effort.” pic.twitter.com/qZXn7BD8cr
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) June 11, 2024
Proud of the substitute players’ hustle, Sides noted their success in cutting down the lead. Her focus was also directed toward upcoming games, with matches against Atlanta and Chicago on the horizon, prompting her to strategize for future contests.
The Fever has been facing challenges this season, grappling with the integration and performance of their top draft picks from the past two years, Boston and Clark. Despite these hurdles, the team showed some promise in recent games before this matchup, securing narrow victories against the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics earlier in the month.
Just getting going this morning…Can someone please send me the news article about Christie Sides getting fired on the flight home last night? Because I know damn well it had to of happened. @IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/iSC9YCBTOK
— Sports Patriot (@SportsPatriotUS) June 11, 2024
The loss to Connecticut, a team that has maintained a strong track record this season and has beaten the Fever in all their encounters this year, highlighted the ongoing struggles and the tough road ahead for Indiana. As the season progresses, the team’s ability to adapt and improve from such setbacks will be crucial in their quest for more consistent performance and better results in the highly competitive league.
Major Points
- Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides benched her starters early in the third quarter during a game where the team trailed the Connecticut Sun by nearly 30 points.
- The game concluded with Connecticut defeating Indiana 89-72, dropping the Fever’s season record to 3-10.
- Aliyah Boston was the only starter to play more than 22 minutes, contributing 14 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
- Sides cited a lack of defensive effort as the primary reason for benching the starters, emphasizing the challenge of coaching effort at the professional level.
- The Fever, experiencing a challenging season with top draft picks Boston and Clark, showed some promise in recent games but struggled against a strong Connecticut team.
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
