I think maybe the gm firing is more in line. I mean you have to have something good to stabilize, players can actually get on board pretty quick, a losing culture generally comes from the top down, if it’s coming from the bottom the top can change it at will.
Dunn is 204 years old. Her and Sides are out of step and out of time! They are incompetent; therefore, incapable of leading the Fevers anywhere but off a cliff! Their change of heart in communicating and praising CC is directly link to CC’s appeal and attention from other team owners, coaches and players during the Allstar game. CC has gotten a taste of competence on the WNBA level and it’s obvious that she loved and relished it. Dunn and Sides are circling their wagons in an effort to protect their investment in CC BUT they need to make big and objective changes to the Fevers’ roster immediately
If cc unhappy she can demand a trade bc this is ridiculous.
This may b the time to get married and have her babies until she free to go elsewhere. We love cc the perao. Even more than the player who is incredible at both!!! Cc be happy and if u have to put up w crap u have plenty of options love. Just keep us w u and we will support whatever u do.
So w sides staying does that mean cc as a rookie is the roty…mvp…and coach of the year???? Another record cc!!!
Linn done thinks this is year 3…listen to her words carefully. She said she was waiting for sides 3rd yr to make the playoffs.
We just need linn dunn gone and the rest will take care of itself. Even leaving cc to run the offense…for 4 quarters… is much better but in a strategic game…we are unarmed if the coach has to get involved.
To those that think cc fans r being unfair to dunn and sides.i disagree. Thank God someone is holding the wnba accountable for allowing a toxic environment and politicking the people they want to promote. I am new to all this but as a psychologist it reeks of manipulation and pandering. Its pretty obvious to me that wnba needs to clean up their act and promote good values, good players and a healthy system. Right now they r taking the approach of blaming the victim, rather than looking in the mirror.
Thank you, Ben, for including that video clip showing the team honoring those young girls on the autism spectrum. What an awesome thing to do! I live in Ohio, so I don’t see the local newscasts from Indianapolis. That just warmed my heart and caused me to love the Indiana Fever even more.
Caitlin Clark should get 2 salaries one for player and 1 for coach she has the whole team passing the ball and running if they keep it up the talents and skills of all of there players will continue to shine Kelsey, Boston, Lexi, and everyone on the team can do great things the lynx play great team basketball and we saw what great team basketball looked like last game the fever ran the storm out of the gym I hope the fever are motivated to to beat that coach on there home court again please don’t let that team win do it for Caitlin.
Great video Ben! And thank you for showing the video with the team doing some PR stuff with special needs kids! My son is autistic and like you said, it is important to show what these players/organizations are doing off the court!
Like Ive said before one of 2 things needs to happen in that case, 1 Dunn needs fired or 2 Clark needs to step up and say "I cannot play for this coach". That would most likely get rid of both Dunn and Sides. Yes I know unlikely to happen, instead Clark will wait till her contract is up then decide to go elsewhere. Dunn better watch out ,, shes digging her own grave by saying that.
Funny enough, if the Fever wins the championship, Sides will win coach of the year! But you know how CC makes her teammates better? Well I think that applies to Sides as well. But just like CC has had to adjust to the league, so to has Sides had to adjust (and is still adjusting) to the new high octane team dynamic Clark brings to the floor.
Grace def needs more playing time, from what I've seen of those few min she's in, she scored points and can play defense. Unload wheeler/ Wallace for sure. I can't say what's the best option for Smith, if she works on her game more she can be a force to reckon with but at times it feels like she just goes thru the motions and is not in the game at all. But if this type of play continues she needs to lose her starting rotation and Samuelson or Fagbenle needs to step in. Samuelson needs to get her shot back. She's been to inconsistent. Dantes can stick around as a back up for Boston, but def needs to get in shape and be able to run the court at a decent speed.
Keep up the good work Ben. I appreciate your honesty when it comes to calling a spade a spade…! I like your attitude and I must say you certainly make me laugh. I look forward to the Ben Daniel Podcast every day…! Jim
Many great comments on this post. I personally felt that the time to replace Dunn and Sides was day one of the All-Star break. Didn’t happen then nor day after All Star game. Now it’s really(I assume) too late as the team is pushing for that longtime coming playoff spot. Dunn’s failure to get any extra help before Trade deadline hurts, but can’t change that either. I haven’t listened to or read Dunn’s full interview so don’t know if she admits any mistakes she made. But the Owner, if he cares at all about CC and The Fever’s Championship potential, should be ready to send Dunn back into retirement after the season’s end and find the best possible GM for this team. Let the new GM find best possible Coach. I would think there are some excellent possibilities for both positions dying for the chance to have CC and The Fever as their team
If Katie Lou's shooting improves and Wallace becomes a little better then they will be fine if Kelsey Mitchell leaves. They can get good players with that money.
I believe this team CAN make the playoffs but, my fear is how they will do in a multiple game series with this coaching. You throw a simple 2-3 at Sides and she falls apart. But I digress. I appreciate the ending of the video, great way to wrap things up! For sure brought a smile to the face <3 !
My read of the early season is that Sides/Dunn thought they were drafting another Kelsey Mitchell. I believe they heard the hype about Caitlin breaking scoring records, but had no idea about her skills as a point guard and playmaker.
You can see it in the early games of the season, the way they parked her in the corner to wait for passes that didn't come.
You can see it in their insistence in sticking with their slow half court offense run through Aliyah Boston. The offense that win them only 13 games last year with mostly the same starters.
I don't think they actually watched Caitlin's college games. They should have assigned one of the assistant coaches to do a scouting report on her once they decided to choose her for their draft pick.
They could have contacted Lisa Bluder after the NCAA tournament, maybe hired her for a couple of hours of consulting to advise them on how to take optimal advantage of Caitlin's unique skill set.
Anything with the kids always tears me up. Caitlin is Elvis for them, but better, as she takes real time with them. We are going to see more and more of this with the Fever, this is where Clark's heart is… THIS is WHY we Iowans' love Clark and support her as one of our own grown daughters (win or lose). If you want to look deeper into this, look up: Caitlin Clark Iowa Children's hospital. Look up the Hawkeye Wave. Have a tissue. Support these women.
If “we” think Sides must go, what are the players thinking? They know when a timeout needs to be called and isn’t. When there’s a lack of adjustments after the opposing team changes tactics. When non-complementary players are on the court etc. Am I alone thinking Dunn’s public announcement to keep Sides will harm the team’s performance? CC is 1/2 year into a 4-year contract there's already scuttlebutt about other teams trying to surreptitiously recruit CC. This would not have occur if CC was happy in her situation. Word is out, there's unhappiness in the Fever locker room. The timing of NaLyssa Smiths' brother’s comments came soon after Dunn’s announcement. This might be the beginning if Kelsey Mitchell decides to explore free agency because of Sides. I’ve said, that you build a culture of stability, first by hiring the right personnel. This is opposed to the “Fevering” of an organization by hiring subpar and then sticking with them, whatever the long-term consequences.
The thing is Sides has only been the coach 2 years and theyve taken a big leap in improvement both years under her. She deserves a little bit of patience, she did a good job of flipping on a dime early in the season, talking to Steve Kerr about their offense and implementing some of that to lean towards Clarks style.
Ben…Thank You for all of your other perspectives, and thank you for THIS perspective. Not talking about you personally here, but when so many commenters just rant and rant about what they believe is wrong with the manager, coach and players, we tend to lose a sense of what is important in life. Yes there is a time to be critical, but a person has to take a breath and give the team and organization credit for what they bring to the community. We should all take more of a part enjoying the good things in life with our families, friends and communities a bit more. Many other players do Charities, I believe CC has a foundation for kids. What you just showed on your video about the Fever interacting with their fans and community, well, that about brought a tear to my eye. That doesn't happen too often watching a sports podcast. Respect…
41 Comments
I think maybe the gm firing is more in line. I mean you have to have something good to stabilize, players can actually get on board pretty quick, a losing culture generally comes from the top down, if it’s coming from the bottom the top can change it at will.
Dunn is 204 years old. Her and Sides are out of step and out of time! They are incompetent; therefore, incapable of leading the Fevers anywhere but off a cliff! Their change of heart in communicating and praising CC is directly link to CC’s appeal and attention from other team owners, coaches and players during the Allstar game. CC has gotten a taste of competence on the WNBA level and it’s obvious that she loved and relished it. Dunn and Sides are circling their wagons in an effort to protect their investment in CC BUT they need to make big and objective changes to the Fevers’ roster immediately
If cc unhappy she can demand a trade bc this is ridiculous.
This may b the time to get married and have her babies until she free to go elsewhere. We love cc the perao. Even more than the player who is incredible at both!!! Cc be happy and if u have to put up w crap u have plenty of options love. Just keep us w u and we will support whatever u do.
So w sides staying does that mean cc as a rookie is the
roty…mvp…and coach of the year???? Another record cc!!!
Linn done thinks this is year 3…listen to her words carefully. She said she was waiting for sides 3rd yr to make the playoffs.
We just need linn dunn gone and the rest will take care of itself. Even leaving cc to run the offense…for 4 quarters… is much better but in a strategic game…we are unarmed if the coach has to get involved.
Dear Dunn, Enjoy CC while you can. She is gone as soon as she can go.
In the interest of stability, you should stop drafting players. New talent will just upset things. Stability is the key. the key.
To those that think cc fans r being unfair to dunn and sides.i disagree. Thank God someone is holding the wnba accountable for allowing a toxic environment and politicking the people they want to promote. I am new to all this but as a psychologist it reeks of manipulation and pandering. Its pretty obvious to me that wnba needs to clean up their act and promote good values, good players and a healthy system. Right now they r taking the approach of blaming the victim, rather than looking in the mirror.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thank you, Ben, for including that video clip showing the team honoring those young girls on the autism spectrum. What an awesome thing to do! I live in Ohio, so I don’t see the local newscasts from Indianapolis. That just warmed my heart and caused me to love the Indiana Fever even more.
Caitlin Clark should get 2 salaries one for player and 1 for coach she has the whole team passing the ball and running if they keep it up the talents and skills of all of there players will continue to shine Kelsey, Boston, Lexi, and everyone on the team can do great things the lynx play great team basketball and we saw what great team basketball looked like last game the fever ran the storm out of the gym I hope the fever are motivated to to beat that coach on there home court again please don’t let that team win do it for Caitlin.
Great video Ben! And thank you for showing the video with the team doing some PR stuff with special needs kids! My son is autistic and like you said, it is important to show what these players/organizations are doing off the court!
Like Ive said before one of 2 things needs to happen in that case, 1 Dunn needs fired or 2 Clark needs to step up and say "I cannot play for this coach". That would most likely get rid of both Dunn and Sides. Yes I know unlikely to happen, instead Clark will wait till her contract is up then decide to go elsewhere. Dunn better watch out ,, shes digging her own grave by saying that.
If Sides keeps playing Wheeler more than 30 seconds a game, they will be swept 🧹 in the playoffs!
We knew with CC the fever would win despite Sides ensuring her staying, sadly
Funny enough, if the Fever wins the championship, Sides will win coach of the year! But you know how CC makes her teammates better? Well I think that applies to Sides as well. But just like CC has had to adjust to the league, so to has Sides had to adjust (and is still adjusting) to the new high octane team dynamic Clark brings to the floor.
Grace def needs more playing time, from what I've seen of those few min she's in, she scored points and can play defense. Unload wheeler/ Wallace for sure. I can't say what's the best option for Smith, if she works on her game more she can be a force to reckon with but at times it feels like she just goes thru the motions and is not in the game at all. But if this type of play continues she needs to lose her starting rotation and Samuelson or Fagbenle needs to step in. Samuelson needs to get her shot back. She's been to inconsistent. Dantes can stick around as a back up for Boston, but def needs to get in shape and be able to run the court at a decent speed.
Keep up the good work Ben. I appreciate your honesty when it comes to calling a spade a spade…! I like your attitude and I must say you certainly make me laugh. I look forward to the Ben Daniel Podcast every day…! Jim
I heard her taking credit for the new offense, when she clearly fought the offense for at least ten games .
FIRE LIN DUNN FIRST
Many great comments on this post. I personally felt that the time to replace Dunn and Sides was day one of the All-Star break. Didn’t happen then nor day after All Star game. Now it’s really(I assume) too late as the team is pushing for that longtime coming playoff spot. Dunn’s failure to get any extra help before Trade deadline hurts, but can’t change that either. I haven’t listened to or read Dunn’s full interview so don’t know if she admits any mistakes she made. But the Owner, if he cares at all about CC and The Fever’s Championship potential, should be ready to send Dunn back into retirement after the season’s end and find the best possible GM for this team. Let the new GM find best possible Coach. I would think there are some excellent possibilities for both positions dying for the chance to have CC and The Fever as their team
If Katie Lou's shooting improves and Wallace becomes a little better then they will be fine if Kelsey Mitchell leaves. They can get good players with that money.
Lol. Thanks Ben.
What's stopping you from knowing how to spell Caitlin Clark's name?
CC is the real coach.
I believe this team CAN make the playoffs but, my fear is how they will do in a multiple game series with this coaching. You throw a simple 2-3 at Sides and she falls apart. But I digress. I appreciate the ending of the video, great way to wrap things up! For sure brought a smile to the face <3 !
My read of the early season is that Sides/Dunn thought they were drafting another Kelsey Mitchell. I believe they heard the hype about Caitlin breaking scoring records, but had no idea about her skills as a point guard and playmaker.
You can see it in the early games of the season, the way they parked her in the corner to wait for passes that didn't come.
You can see it in their insistence in sticking with their slow half court offense run through Aliyah Boston. The offense that win them only 13 games last year with mostly the same starters.
I don't think they actually watched Caitlin's college games. They should have assigned one of the assistant coaches to do a scouting report on her once they decided to choose her for their draft pick.
They could have contacted Lisa Bluder after the NCAA tournament, maybe hired her for a couple of hours of consulting to advise them on how to take optimal advantage of Caitlin's unique skill set.
They clearly didn't prepare. It shows.
No one is “here to stay”. Just a fact. Wait and see
Very frustrating to be a fever fan
Would love to see Grace have the chance to play some minutes.
Smith is becoming a liability to the team. Need to either train her or trade her or let her go.
Smith is becoming a liability. She needs to go or trade her. She doesnt do anything on the defense side.
Big fan, but what's the venue and who is Wire?
Anything with the kids always tears me up. Caitlin is Elvis for them, but better, as she takes real time with them. We are going to see more and more of this with the Fever, this is where Clark's heart is… THIS is WHY we Iowans' love Clark and support her as one of our own grown daughters (win or lose).
If you want to look deeper into this, look up: Caitlin Clark Iowa Children's hospital.
Look up the Hawkeye Wave.
Have a tissue.
Support these women.
Its difficult to pick whose dumber Christie Landslides or Linn Butterbuns?
Anyone whose ever listened to these two Mensa drop outs knows that reality and their rhetoric have nothing in common.
Christie Sides penchant for letting teams score 30+ point leads without a timeout.
Is only beaten by Linn Dunns allowing the Fever to go 10 games with just one win. 😂❤
Only time Fever looks bad is when Sides over coaches
keep sides and you lose. she isnt up to the task. she is divisive for the team. wake up gm
What if Christie Sides is being told to stifle Caitlin Clark and the team. To ensure that A'Ja wins the MVP?
Just a conspiracy theory. A league wide one.
Cause it would make sense to stifle. Just so Caitlin doesn't cruise to an easy MVP season.
Kind of difficult to do with a team thats still growing together.
But with the right lineups, it would be successful enough
If “we” think Sides must go, what are the players thinking? They know when a timeout needs to be called and isn’t. When there’s a lack of adjustments after the opposing team changes tactics. When non-complementary players are on the court etc. Am I alone thinking Dunn’s public announcement to keep Sides will harm the team’s performance? CC is 1/2 year into a 4-year contract there's already scuttlebutt about other teams trying to surreptitiously recruit CC. This would not have occur if CC was happy in her situation. Word is out, there's unhappiness in the Fever locker room. The timing of NaLyssa Smiths' brother’s comments came soon after Dunn’s announcement. This might be the beginning if Kelsey Mitchell decides to explore free agency because of Sides. I’ve said, that you build a culture of stability, first by hiring the right personnel. This is opposed to the “Fevering” of an organization by hiring subpar and then sticking with them, whatever the long-term consequences.
Fever dont really need a coach; they win despite having a coach – what you are saying is Fever go forward with NO coaching….
The thing is Sides has only been the coach 2 years and theyve taken a big leap in improvement both years under her. She deserves a little bit of patience, she did a good job of flipping on a dime early in the season, talking to Steve Kerr about their offense and implementing some of that to lean towards Clarks style.
Ben…Thank You for all of your other perspectives, and thank you for THIS perspective. Not talking about you personally here, but when so many commenters just rant and rant about what they believe is wrong with the manager, coach and players, we tend to lose a sense of what is important in life. Yes there is a time to be critical, but a person has to take a breath and give the team and organization credit for what they bring to the community. We should all take more of a part enjoying the good things in life with our families, friends and communities a bit more. Many other players do Charities, I believe CC has a foundation for kids. What you just showed on your video about the Fever interacting with their fans and community, well, that about brought a tear to my eye. That doesn't happen too often watching a sports podcast. Respect…