The Indiana Fever announced that Marianne Stanley had been dismissed as head coach after leading the Fever to a 2-7 start this season, the second-worst record in the W.
BREAKING: The @IndianaFever announced today that Marianne Stanley will no longer hold the head coaching position. Stanley, who was in the final year of her contract, is replaced by assistant coach Carlos Knox, who will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
— Terrika (@SheKnowsSports) May 25, 2022
Assistant coach Carlos Knox will take over as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Indiana has struggled and finished at the bottom of the standings in back-to-back seasons during her Indiana coaching tenure. Through nearly three seasons, Stanley led Indiana to a 14-49 record.
However, Indiana’s struggles aren’t just a Stanley problem. Indiana hasn’t experienced a winning season since 2015, with the franchise owning the worst winning percentage (.256) since 2017.
“I want to thank the Simon Family and the Fever organization for the opportunity to lead this team over the past two and a half years. I look forward to the next chapter in my basketball journey, as well as being able to spend more time with my family.” Stanley said,
The Fever has undergone several changes in 2022, starting with Hall-of-Famer Tamika Catchings, perhaps the greatest player in Fever history, stepping down as the Fever’s vice president and general manager in February. The Fever ended up filling Catchings’s role with Lin Dunn, who has taken over the front office roles on an interim basis. Dunn coached the Fever from 2008-2014, highlighted by its lone championship run in 2012.
Dunn’s first move was to trade Teaira McCowan to the Dallas Wings for draft picks, ultimately picking four players in the 2022 WNBA Draft, including drafting NaLyssa Smith as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
Most around the W expected Indiana to continue their rebuild towards success. So Dunn firing Stanley comes as a surprise, especially when the Fever has been competitive through their losing season. The Fever had a four-point lead with seven minutes to go against the Chicago Sky, but Chicago’s veteran presence helped them outlast the young Fever, eventually picking up a 95-90 win.
As the Fever continue to play hard and show they’re developing at a reasonable rate, Dunn’s decision to dismiss Stanley is an indication that Dunn will likely be making aggressive moves in an attempt to turn the Fever’s fortunes around.
“With this new group of players, it is time for our organization to go in a different direction. This was a difficult decision, and we wish Marianne the very best in the future,” Dunn said.
Indiana returns to action on Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks.
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