It wasn’t just Caitlin Clark who made history on Wednesday, September 4. After the Indiana Fever superstar was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the first time in her career, head coach Christie Sides was also recognized for an equally prestigious honor. This was after the second-year shot-caller was named the Coach of the Month for leading her team to a 6-1 record in August. The Fever surprised Sides with the announcement during Wednesday’s morning shootaround as the team made their final preparations for their evening game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The players all stood witness as it was revealed that this is the first time in Fever franchise history that they’ve had
The Fever surprised Coach Sides with a cake and a present, which also prompted an inspirational speech from the 47-year-old. Sides was quick to heap praise on her coaches and her players, who she feels played an integral role in her recent feat. “This is my coaches,” she said. “This is my staff. This is you guys. This is not an award for me. This is all y’all.” Towards the end of the video, you can see Clark embracing Sides as the rookie sensation delivered a strong message to her head coach. “Started from the bottom now we’re here, coach,” Clark said. That’s just perfect. Indiana started off the season 1-8, and at that point, there was a lot of doubt as to whether or not Clark was capable of leading the team and if Sides was the right person for the job.
