The Indiana Fever are hitting the reset button on the front office. Kelly Krauskopf, the team’s president of basketball and business operations, is stepping down, the franchise announced Friday, as reported by CBS Sports. Later that day, The Athletic’s Annie Costabile reported that general manager Amber Cox has been fired, per ClutchPoints. The team had not publicly confirmed the Cox report as of this writing.
Why Now
The moves come right after Indiana’s season ended in the first round, a 2-1 series loss to the Las Vegas Aces. The Fever have made the playoffs three straight years, but they haven’t gotten past the semifinals.
Krauskopf is Fever history. She was the franchise’s original president and GM from 2000 to 2018, and under her watch Indiana made the playoffs 13 times in 19 seasons and won its only title in 2012. She came back in 2024. Cox was hired that same year, right before the Fever drafted Caitlin Clark.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to help build and steward the Indiana Fever,” Krauskopf said.
The IAHHM Take
This is a big offseason in Indy, and the new decision-makers walk into a lot. Kelsey Mitchell, the No. 2 pick in 2018, is an unrestricted free agent and has said she has to be “selfish” about her next move. Clark is eligible for a big extension. And there’s no announced succession plan yet, which leaves coach Stephanie White’s future as a question mark.
The criticism has been simple: the front office didn’t build enough around Clark, Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. Meanwhile, the league keeps getting better. Just look at Angel Reese and the Dream making their Finals run.
The Fever have the biggest star in the sport. Now they need a front office that can build a champion around her.
Who should Indiana hire to run the team, and do they keep Kelsey Mitchell at any price?
Source: CBS Sports
