INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran college, international and WNBA coach Christie Sides has been named assistant coach with the Indiana Fever, as announced by Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. Most recently at Northwestern University, Sides is reunited with Chatman, with whom she has spent a combined 12 years at Louisiana State, overseas in Russia and Slovakia, and with the Chicago Sky.
She replaces Steven Key on the Fever coaching staff.
“Christie’s a veteran coach with a wealth of WNBA experience,” said Chatman who was aided by Sides during the Sky’s run to an Eastern Conference championship and trip to the WNBA Finals in 2014. “Her ability to effectively communicate, and develop players with enthusiasm, is simply unmatched. Having previously worked together in college, abroad and in the WNBA, I am confident she will positively impact our team and organization.”
Sides was an assistant coach at Northwestern last season, and named in May as associate head coach. Prior to her stint with the Wildcats, she spent six seasons as assistant coach at Chatman’s side with the Sky.
“I would like to thank Kelly Krauskopf and Pokey Chatman for the opportunity to work with such an incredible organization,” said Sides. “I’m looking forward to being back on the sidelines with Pokey and building a championship team.”
From 2009-13, Sides served as an assistant for Spartak Moscow Region in Russia, where she helped Chatman lead Spartak to consecutive FIBA EuroLeague Championships in 2009 and 2010, and five Final Eight finishes overall. Sides also served as Chatman’s assistant with the Slovakian Women’s National Team for two years in the same period, helping the program to an eighth-place finish at the European Championships in 2009.
When Chatman accepted the Sky’s position as head coach and GM prior to the 2011 season, the duo maintained their Russia-to-Chicago schedule for three years as they began building the Sky into a conference contender.
From 2004-07, Sides was an assistant on the LSU staff with Chatman as head coach. She helped guide the Lady Tigers to three Final Fours and two Southeastern Conference regular season titles in three seasons with the team.
Prior to LSU, Sides spent the 2003-04 season at Louisiana Tech as an assistant coach. Sides began her coaching career as the head JV coach and assistant varsity coach at Ruston (La.) High School. While at Ruston, Sides helped guide the Lady Bearcats to consecutive state playoff appearances.
As a player, Sides played her first two college seasons at Ole Miss for Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor and helped the Rebels to a 34-22 overall record. She transferred to Louisiana Tech where she finished her playing career for fellow Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore. Sides helped the Lady Techsters to a 61-6 record in two seasons, including a trip to the 1999 Final Four. She still holds the career record at Tech for 3-point field goal percentage (.448).
Sides is a native of Baton Rouge, where she led Central Private High School to a state championship as a senior while earning the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year award and all-state honors. She ended her high school playing career ranked No. 1 in school history with 3,375 points.