WNBA fans are furious, once again, with Fever coach Christie Sides for a decision she made on Caitlin Clark during crunch time of Indiana’s showdown vs. the Seattle Storm Wednesday night. 

With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sides had Clark on the bench in a tie game. She wasn’t in foul trouble. It wasn’t an offensive-defensive substitution. Sides simply had Clark on the bench for no reason at all.

It was a mind-boggling decision. Clark is the greatest scorer in NCAA basketball history. She’s very clearly Indiana’s best player and it’s not all too close. And yet, for some reason Sides chose to put her on the bench during crunch time.

Clark came back on the court with over two minutes left, but the Storm got wound up winning the game. It might have been a different outcome if Clark played the whole fourth quarter like she should’ve.

“Christie Sides has gotta answer to why she put Caitlin Clark on the bench with 5 min to go in the game lol, terrible,” one fan said on X.

“WHY is Caitlin Clark on the bench with 3:30 mins left and a 4 point game?,” another fan wrote.

“Fever coach got Caitlin Clark on the bench in the 4th in crunch time… What is she thinking,” a fan commented.

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides at Barclays Center.

© Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark deserves better. She’s already one of the best players in the WNBA and she’s sitting for multiple minutes in the fourth quarter because Christie Sides thinks she knows best.

The Fever are 0-5 to start the 2024 season. Indiana has a chance to get its first win of the year Friday night vs. Cameron Brinks and the Los Angeles Sparks.