Why is being a WNBA head coach such a short-term career choice?

The Indiana Fever — known this season for turning first overall pick Caitlin Clark into a household name — fired head coach Christie Sides after just two seasons of her leadership. 

“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,” said Kelly Krauskopf, Fever president of basketball operations, in a statement made on Sunday, Oct. 27, announcing Sides’ departure. 

“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which includes maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana. Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future,” the statement continued.

Under Sides’ tutelage, the Fever went to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, though they ultimately fell to the mighty New York Liberty. It’s more than fair to say that Sides’ tenure with the Fever was a good one. 

Unfortunately, though, Sides’ departure is just the latest in a series of firings that have taken place following one of the most successful seasons in WNBA history. 

The L.A. Sparks fired Curt Miller on Sept. 24, and then Teresa Witherspoon of the Chicago Sky got the boot just two days later. That termination was followed up by the firing of Tanisha Wright of the Atlanta Dream on Oct. 2 and the firing of Latricia Trammell from the Dallas Wings on Oct. 18. The final round of terminations came on Oct. 23, when head coach Eric Thibault and general manager Mike Thibault were given the boot from the Washington Mystics. 

Stephanie White, too, is out as the Connecticut Sun head coach after just two seasons, with rumors abounding that she’s in contention to head over to the Fever and the sports intelligentsia suggesting that she’ll be “Caitlin Clark’s next coach.” 

All of these terminations mean that there will be at least six new head coaches when the WNBA returns to the court in 2025 — a first for the league. 

Why are there so many changes in such a short time? 

One of the biggest reasons has to do with the influx of money that’s set to come from the new media rights deal in 2026. According to Front Office Sports, this deal will be worth $2.2 billion — which now gives the WNBA the war chest needed to hire the splashy names it’ll need in its new endeavors and to take its teams to new heights. 

According to the outlet, since the average coach made $700,000 per year or less, there are suddenly a lot more reasons for the big-name coaches (some of whom are coming from the NBA) to put their full weight behind women’s basketball.

One question remains: is it really necessary? Some critics say it is. But we’ll only know in the coming season now that the spotlight shines brighter on the WNBA than ever before.