The Indiana Fever clinched a spot in the 2024 WNBA playoffs on Tuesday night, ending an eight-year drought.
On Wednesday, rookie guard Caitlin Clark and head coach Christie Sides earned individual accolades for their outstanding performances.
Christie Sides’ Recognition:
Head Coach Christie Sides was named the WNBA Coach of the Month for August. The team celebrated her achievement with pride.
our leader.
Head Coach Christie Sides is the @WNBA Coach of the Month for August
โ Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever)
Caitlin Clark’s Achievement:
Caitlin Clark was honored as the Kia Rookie of the Month for August. She averaged 24 points per game, along with 5.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists.
@Kia Rookie of the Month
Caitlin Clark averaged 24.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 8.5 APG to earn August rookie of the month honors for the @indianafever
This marks her third Rookie of the Month honors this szn!#KiaROTM|#WelcometotheW
โ WNBA (@WNBA)
Fans are thrilled to see such recognition coming their way!
Sides’ Impact on Team Performance:
In her second year as head coach, Sides led Indiana to a strong performance in August with a record of five wins and one loss after returning from the Paris Summer Olympics break. During this time, they led in scoring (89.7 points per game), three-pointers made (72), and offensive rating (110.7).
The Fever returned from their break by defeating Phoenix Mercury and later secured wins against Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky.
Clark’s Stellar Play:
Clark also won Eastern Conference Player of the Month and Player of the Week awards in addition to her Rookie accolade.
According to this release, she led in assists during August while consistently posting impressive stats like at least 19 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game.
Clark leads all rookies in several categories including points (18.7), steals (1.4), minutes per game (35.4), and free-throw percentage (89.7). On Sundayโs win against Dallas Wings, she became just one among seven rookies ever to score over 600 points in a season .
A Remarkable Turnaround:
With Hall-of-Famer Tamika Catchings leading them before retirement, Indiana made playoffs twelve straight seasons but struggled afterward until now.
After last seasonโs poor record followed by a slow start this year, theyโve turned things around dramatically heading into playoffs looking formidable once again!
