What's next for the Indiana Fever after front office departures?

The Indiana Fever haven’t played basketball in more than three weeks, but they still made shockwaves during the WNBA Finals.

News dropped Friday morning that team president Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down after nearly three decades at Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Hours later, the organization announced the firing general manager and chief operating officer Amber Cox.

The expectation is that Stephanie White will remain head coach of the Fever, sources told ESPN.

Although the front office will look much different for the Fever next season, the pressure will remain on star Caitlin Clark and the rest of the team to compete for championships. Following last year’s miraculous run in which they were five minutes away from advancing to the Finals, the Fever did not make it out of the first round this season, falling to the three-time champion Las Vegas Aces.

Indiana has also been enveloped in a variety of off-court controversies over the past few years as the Fever navigate the intense spotlight that comes with having Clark on the team. At the end of the season, star guard Kelsey Mitchell acknowledged the challenges of playing for the Fever and with Clark due to the extra attention, some negative, that she receives. During those same media exit interviews, Cox said the negative portrayals of Fever fans “have no basis in reality,” which former Fever player Brianna Turner disputed on social media.

ESPN reporters Kareem Copeland, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel look at what Krauskopf’s and Cox’s departures mean for the Fever franchise.

Why are the Fever making this move now?

Copeland: Time is of the essence for the Fever. Clark is still on her rookie deal, though eligible for the “EPIC” extension — a provision included in the latest collective bargaining agreement that allows players to renegotiate the fourth year of their rookie deals and sign three-year extensions. Fair or not, every season she’s on the roster will carry championship expectations. Mitchell, who set the WNBA single-season scoring record in 2026, is an unrestricted free agent who made it clear she will explore her options after playing her entire career in Indianapolis. A first-round exit in 2026 fell well short of expectations. Ownership seems unwilling to risk another season of falling short of the ultimate goal with a roster construction that had some holes.

Philippou: Some speculated whether this means Indiana is cleaning house, but it’s not that straightforward. It appears that White will remain in her role. And sources told ESPN that when Krauskopf returned to the Fever in the fall of 2024 (after serving as the Indiana Pacers’ assistant GM), she never intended to stay in the role long term and only anticipated staying on for two or three years. She also told team leadership before the end of the regular season that she would be leaving, so it’s not clear what the relationship, if any, was between her decision and ownership’s choice to move on from Cox when they did.

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Caitlin Clark denounces online abuse of Mitchell, teammates

Indiana is in win-now mode. What other pressures or obstacles internally and externally will new front office hires have to manage?

Copeland: Clark admitted that the microscope she’s under often envelops those around her. So, all eyes will be on the new hires and every move closely dissected. There has to be a balance of keeping Clark happy personally and professionally with a competitive roster. If Clark doesn’t sign the EPIC extension, she will be a restricted free agent in 2028. Keeping her in Indianapolis is an absolute priority. Additionally, the new GM must manage the off-the-court spotlight that includes negative fan behavior online and in person and the reputation that the fanbase has gotten among players on the team and around the league.

Voepel: The Fever have at the very least a perception problem about their fan base. After Cox’s comments at media day, the response was swift. “Players inside and outside the organization have repeatedly issued complaints with the Fever fanbase,” Turner said on X. “While it’s not all Indy fans, it’s certainly a trend. To say the attacks have ‘no basis in reality’ is disingenuous.”

Two years ago, then-Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas specifically pointed to an element of racism in the responses. “In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase. It’s unacceptable, honestly,” Thomas said. “There’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media.”

The next team president and general manager must address that more effectively. And it has to start right away with the best crisis management advice available.

In her comments, Cox seemed intent on defending a fanbase that has been part of the WNBA for 26 years while also pointing out that negative fan behavior online isn’t the same as in an arena. But she came off as dismissive.

Is it fair or accurate to paint a fanbase based on the dregs of social media? No, but this is the situation the Fever find themselves in, and it could impact player personnel. The Fever have the most marketable player in WNBA history in Clark, who is already on her way to becoming the league’s best playmaker. The Fever will soon open a luxurious and spacious practice facility that is near Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indianapolis is one of the more affordable big cities in the United States to live in. There are many reasons the Fever should be able to attract key free agents. But the organization must deal proactively with negative perceptions, even if they did not cause those perceptions.

In addition to re-signing Mitchell, what are the free agency priorities for the Fever?

Copeland: The two biggest holes in the roster are post help for Aliyah Boston, perimeter shooting and a defensive wing. Cox brought in Monique Billings to play alongside Boston, but Billings eventually lost the job to Makayla Timpson, who has unique athleticism but is limited offensively. The Fever were the No. 1 3-point shooting team in the league, but Clark and Mitchell did most of that work. A 3-and-D wing would help spread the floor and take some of the pressure off those two. The defense, especially on the perimeter, was an issue all season, so any new wing must also help in that area.

Who is likely to be considered for the GM role?

Philippou: There isn’t a clear successor for Cox (or Krauskopf) in Indiana, and sources around the league are interested to see what direction Pacers Sports & Entertainment president Mel Raines and Fever ownership go. Do they want someone who has GM experience in the WNBA? That hire would be in a similar mold to Cox — who previously worked for the Sun, Dallas Wings and in the NWSL — so if they want to try something different, perhaps not. Clare Duwelius — former Minnesota Lynx GM and current executive vice president/general manager of Unrivaled — could be worth a call. She is from Iowa and went to Clark’s high school but also got to learn the front office ropes from the best of the best in Cheryl Reeve.

What about an up-and-comer? The league has more assistant GMs than ever — well-respected ones include Brooklyn Cartwright (Atlanta), Jasmine Thomas (Dallas) and Fleur McIntyre (Phoenix) — given the resources that franchises are now dedicating to building front offices. That said, someone inexperienced might not be desirable given the high stakes and high-pressure nature of the situation.

The Fever also could follow a trend of looking to the NBA for new and perhaps more innovative front office personnel — the newest WNBA GM, Ariana Andonian of the Los Angeles Sparks, took that path. Whatever route the Fever take, if the goal is for White to remain in Indiana, any new management hires would have to be OK not bringing in their own head coach right away.

Indiana ownership should look to go big — including with the financial investment for this hire — because it needs to get this right.