Indiana Fever v Minnesota Lynx - Source: Getty — Indiana Fever v Minnesota Lynx (Image Source: Getty)

Coach Christie Sides heaps immense praise on Caitlin Clark, compares rookie to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Steph Curry

Modified Sep 03, 2024 09:35 GMT

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides was lavish in her praise of Caitlin Clark as the team inches close to punching a playoff ticket this 2024 WNBA season. It wasn't the greatest of starts for the side this season, going 1-8, but Clark and the rest of the team have turned things around in emphatic fashion, and that left Sides a lot to say in a recent interview.

Speaking in a Fever all-access interview on YouTube, Sides placed her young guard among the pantheon of the NBA greats Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry:

"When you think about 25 years of Fever basketball and the history of the league, for her to be the only rookie to do that, I think the numbers just speak for themselves," Sides said.

"You know, when you talk about greats in this game, the Michael Jordans and the Kobe Bryants and the Steph Currys, they are putting her in that category. The Diana Taurasis, she has that level of competitiveness in her. She wants everyone on her team to have that, and she has given several of our players more of that competitive spirit," she added.

(from 4:40 mark onwards)

Clark has been on fire in her rookie season. The Fever guard is averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 33 games so far this season. Her last five games have her averaging 24.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 8.8 apg — with two of the contests ending with double-double performances.

Caitlin Clark's scintillating run has firmly cemented her in the Rookie of the Year race and made her a dark horse for MVP as well.

Dallas Wings star gives Caitlin Clark her flowers: "Amazing sign for women's basketball"

Speaking to the media in the aftermath of their 100-93 loss to Clark and the Fever, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally weighed in on the game and heaped praise on the former Iowa Hawkeyes guard, with Clark jerseys doing the rounds in the arena (via Sports Illustrated):

“It’s annoying because there were way too many Caitlin fans in our arena. I had mixed feelings seeing all the Caitlin jerseys in our home — but it’s an amazing sign for women’s basketball and it’s just great how far we’ve come.”

At the time of writing, the Fever are currently in sixth place in the WNBA standings with a 17-16 record and are a cinch to make the playoffs. With five teams making the playoffs, Indiana is now better placed to take the sixth seed unless they go on a slide.