Kelly Krauskopf stepped down as president of the Indiana Fever on Friday, ending a run that began when she returned to the role in 2024. She had already told the franchise during the recently completed season that she would leave at its conclusion.
Her departure is drawing attention now because the Fever are coming off back-to-back playoff seasons and a trip to the semifinals in 2025. For a team that has spent the last two years pushing back into contention, the move leaves a key leadership job open just as the offseason begins.
Krauskopf’s connection to the Fever goes back to 2000, when she joined ahead of the team’s inaugural season. In her first stint, she helped guide the franchise through 13 postseason appearances, including 12 straight, and the team won the 2012 WNBA championship and reached the finals three times. She also helped lead the development of the Fever’s new performance center, which is scheduled to open next spring.
That makes her exit more than a routine personnel change. The Fever are not stepping away from momentum; they are stepping into a season of construction, with the next stage of the franchise already underway but its top basketball executive now gone. No replacement has been named.
Before joining the Fever, Krauskopf served as the WNBA’s first director of basketball operations and helped establish the league’s foundational rules, scheduling and officiating policies ahead of its 1997 launch. She said it had been an honor and privilege to build and steward the franchise with the support and trust of Herb Simon, and that she would always cherish her time with Pacers Sports and Entertainment.
