Indiana Fever's Krauskopf Steps Down, Amber Cox Fired — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down as Indiana Fever team president after nearly three decades at Pacers Sports & Entertainment; the news broke Friday morning, and hours later the organization announced the firing of general manager and chief operating officer Amber Cox.
- Stephanie White is expected to remain head coach, sources told ESPN, and Krauskopf told team leadership before the end of the regular season that she planned to leave — leaving unclear how much her decision factored into ownership moving on from Cox.
- Caitlin Clark remains on her rookie deal and is eligible for the "EPIC" extension in the latest collective bargaining agreement, which lets players renegotiate the fourth year of rookie deals; if she does not sign, she becomes a restricted free agent in 2028, and keeping her in Indianapolis is called an absolute priority.
- Kelsey Mitchell, who set the WNBA single-season scoring record in 2026, is an unrestricted free agent who made clear she will explore her options after playing her entire career in Indianapolis; beyond re-signing her, the holes are post help for Aliyah Boston — where Monique Billings lost her job to Makayla Timpson — and a 3-and-D wing, with Indiana's No. 1 league 3-point shooting resting mostly on Clark and Mitchell.
- Las Vegas Aces, the three-time champions, eliminated Indiana in the first round this season, a year after the Fever were five minutes away from advancing to the Finals; the source notes the exit fell well short of expectations and that ownership appeared unwilling to risk another subpar roster.
- Brianna Turner disputed Cox's claim that negative portrayals of Fever fans "have no basis in reality," saying players inside and outside the organization have repeatedly complained about the fanbase; two years earlier, then-Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said she had never experienced such racial comments in her 11-year career.
- Clare Duwelius, the former Minnesota Lynx GM now executive vice president/general manager of Unrivaled, was floated as a candidate, alongside up-and-comer assistant GMs Brooklyn Cartwright (Atlanta), Jasmine Thomas (Dallas) and Fleur McIntyre (Phoenix); Indiana could also follow the NBA hiring path taken by the Sparks' newest GM Ariana Andonian, but with no clear successor identified and White expected to stay, any hire must be willing not to bring its own head coach.
Why it matters: Both front-office seats are open while the roster's two biggest decisions are pending: Clark becomes a restricted free agent in 2028 if she declines the EPIC extension, and Mitchell, the 2026 single-season scoring record holder, is an unrestricted free agent exploring options. Keeping Clark in Indianapolis is the stated priority, and the GM hire must be willing not to replace White.
Ask SkimNews
