Blame Caitlin Clark for the Rash of Firings of WNBA Coaches

The Caitlin Clark effect generated many positives for the WNBA during its recently concluded season, but it is proving detrimental to WNBA coaches.The Connecticut Sun parted ways with head coach Stephanie White on Monday after a season where the Sun went 28-12 and won a playoff series over Ms. Clark’s Indiana Fever. Ms. White’s departure comes days after the Fever fired its head coach Christie Sides.Ms. Sides’ firing was made by a rebuilt front office in Indiana looking to maximize Ms. Clark’s presence on and off the court. Currently, seven WNBA teams are looking for a head coach in what figures to be the most significant off-season in the league’s history.Ms. White, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, and a former Indiana assistant coach on the 2012 championship team, is reportedly interested in rejoining the Fever as its new head coach.“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,” the Fever’s President of basketball and business operations, Kelly Krauskopf, said in a statement.Blame the Caitlin Clark effect for the rash of firings. The women’s basketball sensation who helped generate record attendance and attention for the WNBA while winning the Rookie of the Year Award and All-WNBA honors, has raised expectations throughout the league.Franchises want to make the most of that attention and new revenue. Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles are also looking for a head coach. Off the court, the WNBA player’s union recently opted out of its current collective bargaining agreement to negotiate a new one. Other issues to discuss this offseason include how to spend the added revenue from a new $2 billion media rights deal that begins next year. The regular season also has been expanded and expansion is planned for the next two years.Ms. Sides won’t be part of that process in Indiana even though she guided the team to a playoff berth this year. Ms. Sides, who was 33-46 during her two years in Indiana, likely needed to win the WNBA Championship to keep her job. Rallying the team from a 0-5 start to a 20-20 regular season and a playoff berth wasn’t good enough. The Fever was swept in the first round by Connecticut. By then the winds of change were already in motion.The Fever announced on September 23 that Ms. Krauskopf would return as President of basketball and business operations. Ms. Krauskopf held the top job with the franchise when it won the WNBA Championship in 2012. The Fever also reached the finals in 2009 and 2015. She left in 2019 to become the assistant general manager of the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.Another change was announced on October 4. Amber Cox was appointed as the team’s chief operating officer and general manager. Ms. Cox succeeded Lin Dunn, who moves from general manager to a senior advisory role. Ms. Sides wasn’t part of their long-term plans.“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which is maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana,” Ms. Krauskopf said.That seems to be what every other team in the WNBA is thinking. The Fever didn’t believe Ms. Sides was up to the job. She was a long-time assistant coach before getting the head coaching job in Indiana in 2023. After going 13-27 in her first year, she inherited a tough task this season when the Fever selected Mr. Clark No.1 overall in the WNBA draft. With little practice time to develop chemistry, the Fever started 0-5 under high expectations and an intense media spotlight.The coach and the new star clashed at first. Ms. Clark, fresh from setting the all-time collegiate scoring record, seemed to take a dig at her coach early on saying, “Nobody gives me advice in-game. I wish.” And when Ms. Sides later suggested Ms. Clark needed to take more shots, social media pounced, telling her it was the coach’s job to create more open looks.Still, Ms. Sides spent ample time defending Ms. Clark, especially against the hard fouls officials seemed to ignore. She also publicly advocated for Ms. Clark to be the Rookie of the Year when Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky was a viable candidate before suffering a season-ending injury.The Fever is a young team with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell adding to a talented roster, which is why Ms. White, who coached the Fever in 2015 and 2016, is reportedly interested in the job. She was 55-25 in two seasons with the Sun and made two semifinal appearances.Ms. White told ESPN it was a “professional and personal decision” to leave the Sun and expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to coach the Sun. Jen Rizzotti, the Sun team president, admitted this is “an uncertain time in the WNBA” as the league tries to maximize its current popularity.“I think that there’s a likelihood of a lot of turnover in rosters throughout the league,” Ms. Rizzotti said. “I want to look for a leader that’s ready to lead us into the future.”

Blame Caitlin Clark for the Rash of Firings of WNBA Coaches

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