Christie Sides makes her opinion on Caitlin Clark really clear…

INDIANAPOLIS — After the Indiana Fever’s win over the New York Liberty Saturday afternoon, head coach Christie Sides was asked if she’d like to take the opportunity to make her case for Caitlin Clark being Rookie of the Year. Clark had just posted the first rookie triple-double in WNBA history in the win.

“I’m always going to make a case for my player,” Sides said. “First and foremost, she’s the most competitive human being I’ve ever met. I really compare her to Diana Tuarasi. She’s always looking to find ways to get better: ‘how can I help the team?’ … [Clark] found a rhythm tonight. The timing for our players is getting better… that chemistry is there… She just wants to win.

“To me, she’s going to be my Rookie of the Year everyday,” Sides added.

Sides obviously didn’t comment about Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, as the head coach was only focusing on her player in Clark. But right past the midway point of the season, Clark and Reese are the obvious frontrunners to win the award. There’s also lots of discussion online.

The Fever coach was later asked how Clark’s competitiveness manifests in other areas. Sides jested that anything that involves scoring activates Clark’s competitive nature. Whenever Indiana holds its half-court shot challenge to conclude practices, Sides said that Clark is always thinking about winning. Sides said that trait spills onto other players.

On Friday, Katie Lou Samuelson made the half-court shot. Clark said “No, we’re not done here!”