INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever team president Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down from her role, Pacers Sports and Entertainment announced on Friday morning. According to Yahoo Sports, the decision to leave was entirely her own, and she informed PS&E leadership of her departure ahead of the conclusion of the 2026 regular season.
“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 an official statement released by the organization.
A Three-Decade Journey as a Basketball Pioneer
Krauskopf’s departure marks the end of a foundational era for the Indiana franchise and women’s professional basketball as a whole. Her career in the sport spans three decades, beginning in the earliest days of the WNBA as the league’s director of operations. In 1999, she arrived in Indianapolis to spearhead the Fever’s expansion process, serving as the franchise’s original president and general manager.
During her initial leadership tenure, Krauskopf constructed the roster that ultimately captured the 2012 WNBA championship. Her administrative career also crossed barriers into the men’s game when she left the Fever in 2018 to become the assistant general manager for the Indiana Pacers, making history as the first woman in NBA history to hold an executive basketball management role. She later returned to the Fever in 2024 to resume her duties as team president.
Leadership Legacy and Infrastructure Impact
Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon acknowledged Krauskopf’s immense contributions to the organization and the wider sports landscape in a public statement.
“When we started the Fever, Kelly saw what this franchise could become,” Simon 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, and our family is grateful for everything she’s given this organization.”
In addition to her roster construction and executive leadership, Krauskopf served as the lead executive on the Fever’s new state-of-the-art practice facility project. She recently gave media members a comprehensive tour of the site in September. The facility is scheduled to open in March 2027 ahead of the upcoming training camp and will stand as the largest dedicated training facility in the WNBA at 108,000 square feet.
Next Steps for the Franchise
As the organization navigates this major leadership transition, Pacers Sports and Entertainment did not immediately announce a definitive succession plan for Krauskopf’s role as team president. Meanwhile, general manager Amber Cox remains securely in her position, ensuring ongoing continuity in the franchise’s basketball operations department as the team prepares for the upcoming off-season and the opening of their historic new facility.