Kelly Krauskopf explains her return to Fever, vision to win and become 'an enduring brand'
"This is a place where players can come and get better and be surrounded by an organization that supports you. They're going to have everything they need to be successful."
It was a busy season for the Indiana Fever and that has continued into the offseason. Caitlin Clark was voted Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in MVP voting.
And two weeks after the return of Kelly Krauskopf to the organization as team president, she covered a lot of ground in a 21-minute (re-)introductory press conference with local reporters.
It was not an easy decision for her to leave the NBA, an established league where there’s more interest and resources. But the tug to return to something special, a league on the rise, was too much.
On top of that, the Fever have become the most popular and followed team in the WNBA because of the addition of Clark.
“Any time you're asked to return to a place that you helped build, it's special,” Krauskopf said. “I certainly wasn't thinking of this as an option at the point in my career where I am, but I'll say Mel Raines is a good recruiter. I'm going to have her help me with some free agents.
“I'm really grateful to Mel, to Herb Simon, and the Simon family for trusting me to be a steward of the franchise again. This is a seminal moment in women's sports. It's a big opportunity to be a part of this rising tide that we're all experiencing.
“I think being a part of the first 18 years and building the franchise from the beginning gave me a lot of insight, institutional knowledge, six years on the NBA side, to be ready for this moment, to leverage all that experience and certainly look at this as a new business. I really feel like we're poised and we're set up for a great, successful next era of the Fever basketball.”
Krauskopf spent the past six years as assistant general manager for the Indiana Pacers, helping them through a rebuild.
Now she’ll do the same thing with the Fever.
When she ran the Fever previously, she brought Lin Dunn on and then promoted her to head coach in 2008. They reached the finals the following year and won it all in 2012.
Dunn, who had been serving as GM, will transition to a senior advisor role. She’ll always be involved in basketball in some way.
Toward the end of the Fever season, Raines, the new CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, reached out to Krauskopf to gauge her interest.
Raines, the organization, and the city are making a hard push for Indianapolis to become the women’s sports capital of the world.
Now a week into the offseason, Krauskopf is tasked with getting the team pointed in the right direction and seeing how much it can take off.
“I had to really think about it because for me, the first 18 years about killed me,” Krauskopf said of her decision. “When you're trying to keep the business going and trying to keep the team moving in the right direction. I take a lot of pride in really how we operated and the success that we had.”
After the season, the front office and coaching staff had exit interviews with the players, but Krauskopf did not participate. She wanted to allow that staff to finish out the year.
“I met with a couple,” she said, “and I'll continue reaching out and introducing myself, meeting their agents and getting reacquainted with everyone.”
The Fever won seven more games than the previous season to finish 20-20, despite being the youngest and least-experienced team in the WNBA last season. Krauskopf intends to change that by adding more veterans and more size. And she’s seeking basketball junkies, players who love the game.
Clark will be a significant draw, of course.
Krauskopf hired veteran WNBA executive Amber Cox to be with her for the ride. They will work hand in hand. Cox — who begins her role as chief operating officer and GM on Oct. 28 — has run the Dallas Wings (2022-24), Connecticut Sun (2016-2021), and Phoenix Mercury (2005-13).
Now with a young core in place, it’s on them to upgrade the roster and give the team what it needs to be successful for the long haul — something Krauskopf knows all about.
When she ran the franchise from 2000-2018, they reached the postseason a record 12 consecutive seasons. Catchings was the foundational piece, she drafted well and then surrounded Catchings with experience to contend annually for a championship.
Watch and read Krauskopf’s full comments below:
What perspective was gained during your time in the NBA?