Kelly Krauskopf steps down as Indiana Fever president

Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down as president of the Indiana Fever, the team announced Friday. Krauskopf said she told the organization about her decision before the season ended.

Her history with the franchise goes back to before it played a game. Krauskopf was hired as president and general manager ahead of the Fever's first season in 2000. Under her, Indiana made the playoffs 12 straight years, reached three WNBA Finals and won the 2012 championship, according to ESPN.

In 2018 she moved across the building to the Indiana Pacers as assistant general manager, and ESPN notes she became the first woman to hold an executive basketball management role in the NBA. She returned to the Fever in 2024 as president of basketball and business operations. The team's announcement puts her time with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns both clubs, at nearly three decades.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to help build and steward the Indiana Fever with the support and trust of Herb Simon," Krauskopf said in a statement. "The Fever is poised for an exciting future, and I am proud to have helped lay the foundation for its continued growth and success."

Simon, the team's owner, gave her credit for both runs. "When we started the Fever, Kelly saw what this franchise could become," he said. "She built it, delivered a championship and came back when we needed her. She has played an extraordinary role in the growth of women's basketball in Indianapolis."

Neither the team nor ESPN named a successor or said who will run the front office in the meantime. That is the next thing to watch for Fever fans, since the person who replaces her will shape the roster heading into next season.