Indiana Fever to build state-of-the-art $78M practice facility to open for 2027 season
The 108,000-square-foot training center will be a WNBA leader in both size and offerings — which includes two courts, their largest weight room, dedicated recovery rooms, hair and nail salon, & more
Pacers Sports & Entertainment is going all-in with the Indiana Fever.
The organization announced its plans to build a $78 million practice facility, with construction to begin in August and be completed before the 2027 season begins in May.
It will be located one block north east of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, on the site of the former Marion County jail — which is currently being demolished — at the corner of Maryland and Delaware St.
This is a significant addition to PS&E’s growing campus that includes Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Bicentennial Unity Plaza, an office building just north of the plaza, Ascension St. Vincent Center, and a planned hotel and entertainment space just west of the Fieldhouse.
“This elite training center is a reflection of our organization’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that our players have the highest level of resources to be successful,” said team president Kelly Krauskopf.
“Our goals for this new training center is really to provide a first-in-class training center that is designed exclusively for women athletes. And I think that's important to note because it's not just a gym, it's a holistic approach to how women athletes train, recover, rehab, have a lifestyle support.
The team’s plans for the 108,000-square-foot practice facility include two basketball courts, an elite weight room, space for yoga and Pilates, as well as a full-service kitchen. They want to make this center the home away from home for players.
And so, other amenities planned include:
Massage room
Infrared light therapy
Sauna
Steam
Heat studios
Float tank
Multiple hydrotherapy pools
Outdoor courtyard
Mental performance spaces
Hair and nail salon
Childcare space
Production studio for player content
It will also have a team store and “offer fan experiences,” along with serving as the hub for their community relations efforts.
I asked Fever guard Lexie Hull about it on Thursday morning during Zoom media availability for Unrivaled, the new 3x3 basketball league that begins play Friday in Miami.
“It's huge,” she said with a big smile. “We knew it was in the works so to see it finally announced to the public, (it’s) really, really exciting.
“It just shows the dedication that the organization and the city of Indianapolis is really pouring into our team. I think it's gonna be great for us as players, it's gonna be great for our team to be able to attract some really great free agents. So just really excited for how that's gonna help us down the line.”
How does this compare to the newest facilities in the WNBA?
Fever: $78 million, 108,000 square feet (proposed)
Mercury: $100 million, 58,000 square feet
Storm: $64 million, 50,000 square feet
Aces: $40 million, 64,000 square feet
If you look closely at the rendering above, you see three player photos: Caitlin Clark (duh!), Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. The team has made clear that they want them part of the future and this, along with the team extending a core qualifying offer to Mitchell on the very same day, reflects that.
This announcement from the organization was made just before WNBA free agency begins next week.
After a record season, the Fever did not choose to run it back. They made significant changes. They don’t want to waste any time with Clark, a generational talent and polarizing player.
Krauskopf returned as team president. Amber Cox was hired as general manager. Stephanie White returned as head coach. All women who have been successful in their jobs.
The Fever received unprecedented attention thanks to Clark, who was named Time Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year. Every game — home and away — was filled, all but two aired on national TV, and fan interest has never been higher.
There were countless fans who flew into the country just to see Clark and the Fever live,
The Fever have won one WNBA championship, in 2012. Here’s what the locker room looked like back then.
Then, as part of $360 million in renovations to the Fieldhouse, the practice court was raised and the newly-created space housed the locker room, weight room, coaches offices, and athletic training room.
Here’s the current one, which was updated in 2021:
The current practice court, which was used by the Pacers until the 2017-18 season.
Plans for this Fever-only training center comes 10 years after the Pacers went to city officials with a proposal for a $50 million practice facility adjacent to The Fieldhouse that was a staff parking lot. Two years later, in 2017, the Ascension St. Vincent Center opened — and has since also become the primary home for their G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants.
Like with the Pacers practice facility, the Fever plan to sell the naming rights to what is currently being referred to as the “Indiana Fever sports performance center.”
Populous is serving as the architect and Shiel Sexton will handle the construction.
From Sherri Privitera, senior principal and director of women’s professional sports at Populous: “At Populous, we are redefining excellence in women's professional sports by designing spaces that truly honor the unique needs and talents of WNBA athletes. It's about a holistic reimagining of facilities that inspire excellence, optimize performance, and elevate the fan experience."
How will this be financed?
An affiliate of PS&E will foot the bill for the design and construction. It’s not immediately clear who that is. However, the city will complete an intergovernmental land transfer to the Capitol Improvement Board, who will then enter into an operating agreement — just like they do for Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Luca Oil Stadium.
At the expiration of the operating agreement, the facility will then be donated to the CIB. That’s also the setup for the Pacers practice facility across Delaware St.
“We are excited to partner with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to identify the perfect location for the Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center,” Pacers and Fever owner Herb Simon said in a statement. “The city of Indianapolis continues to be a tremendous partner as we elevate our team, players and community.”
Last September, Indiana Sports Corp. hosted its “State of Sports” annual event inside The Fieldhouse and that’s where community leaders first shared their vision to be the women’s sports capital of the world.
This is another major step toward that goal.
“We want this to be a second home for our players, somewhere where they can become their best selves as an athlete to increase their performance, have a place to recover, mental health, and somewhere that they feel like they'd like to spend time not only when they have to be there, but that they enjoy being there,” said PS&E CEO Mel Raines. “I think it's gonna be absolutely best in class.
“As we look toward Indianapolis becoming the epicenter of women's sports, having professional women's sports teams and having dedicated training facilities for them is really a key piece of putting that together.”
This comes months after the Fever completed its most successful season ever, in terms of business. It was the Caitlin Clark Effect. She changed everything for this franchise, including this.
“The most transformational year in the WNBA’s history,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the finals in October.
Added Mayor Hogsett: “Last year, we experienced an unprecedented boom in interest and attention on women's sports around the world, led in large part by our very own Indiana Fever. Indianapolis is proud to see this significant investment from Pacers Sports & Entertainment drive further momentum in women's basketball in our community and continue to elevate our status as a major league sports city.”
Toward the end of last season, the Fever shared several eye-popping numbers (compared to the 2023 season):
Attendance up 319%
Jersey sales up 1193%
Ticket sales up 264.6%
Corporate partnerships up 225%
Team store transaction were up over 700%
Concessions were up 300%, including draft beer up 740%
Viewership records set on every network they appeared on.
The Fever have two young stars in Clark and Boston, they extended a qualifying offer to Mitchell, brought back their original architect and hired one of the best coaches.
Now they raised the bar even further by announcing plans for this state-of-the-art facility.