Fever coach Christie Sides reacts after Caitlin Clark finishes 4th in MVP voting: "That's incredible for a rookie"

Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides reacted to her star rookie Caitlin Clark finishing fourth in the 2024 WNBA MVP voting. The award was announced on Sunday, with Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson securing the honor on unanimous decision.

Clark didn't receive any first-place or second-place votes. The 22-year-old aggregated 130 points after receiving six third-place votes, 26 fourth-place votes and 22 fifth-place votes.

Coach Sides was asked about Clark's achievement ahead of Indiana's playoff game against the Connecticut Sun. The Fever's strategist lavished immense praise on the former Iowa standout while acknowledging her impact in the progress of the franchise.

"I mean Caitlin is special...everybody knows that. She has been special," Sides told reporters ahead of Game 1.

"She came into the best women's basketball league in the world...she found her footing, she continued to get better. She has put herself in a position to be called one of the best players in this league, that's incredible for a rookie," she added.

Clark recorded one of the best season's by a rookie in league history. From breaking records to producing numerous highlight moments and contributing heavily towards the growth of the WNBA, the one-time All-Star did things which were never done before in the league.

The Indiana coach admitted to the 22-year-old's contribution towards ending the franchise's eight-year playoff drought.

"Caitlin is doing extraordinary things. She is unique. She is one of the reasons we’re here today," the Fever coach opined.

Caitlin Clark is a big-time favorite to win ROTY

Caitlin Clark also reacted to finishing fourth in MVP voting. The Fever rookie deemed the achievement as "cool" but kept her focus on more urgent business.

"I mean, it’s cool. But at the same time, I don’t really care," Clark told reporters before Game 1 against the Sun.

While Clark missed out on winning the MVP award, the former Iowa superstar was the runaway favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Apart from averaging 19.2 points and leading the league in assists with 8.4 dimes per game, Clark etched her name in history books by securing several milestones.

One of Clark's many accomplishments was becoming the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double, a feat she achieved twice.