Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down as Indiana Fever president, ending her second stint leading the WNBA franchise she helped build before its inaugural season in 2000.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced the departure Friday. Krauskopf had informed leadership of her decision before the 2026 regular season ended, according to the team’s announcement.
That timing places the decision before Indiana’s postseason exit. The Fever announcement did not name a replacement or outline a timetable for selecting their next president.
General manager Amber Cox remains in her position, The Comeback reported, leaving Indiana facing a change at the presidential level as preparations for next season continue.
Indiana entered this year’s playoffs as the sixth seed before losing its opening series to Las Vegas. The Aces clinched that matchup with a 94-83 victory.
That finish followed a semifinal appearance in 2025. Krauskopf’s second tenure therefore included consecutive playoff trips, although the Fever fell short of returning to the Finals.
She had returned in 2024 to oversee basketball and business operations after six seasons as an assistant general manager with the Indiana Pacers, the Associated Press reported.
Her departure closes a career spanning the launch of the Fever, their championship breakthrough and a return during a period of greater attention around women’s basketball.
Krauskopf joined Pacers Sports & Entertainment in 1999, before Indiana played its first WNBA season. Her initial run helped establish the franchise as a regular postseason contender.
The Fever reached the playoffs in 12 consecutive seasons from 2005 through 2016 and advanced to three WNBA Finals during that era, Field Level Media reported.
The defining result was the 2012 championship, still a central part of her Indiana legacy. Across her first stint, the organization recorded 13 total postseason appearances.
Owner Herb Simon credited Krauskopf with recognizing the franchise’s potential from its beginning, building a championship team and returning when the organization needed her leadership again.
His statement also emphasized her contribution to women’s basketball in Indianapolis. The farewell reflected a relationship extending across the Fever and Pacers rather than one executive appointment.
Krauskopf thanked Simon for his support and expressed confidence in Indiana’s future. She also highlighted the relationships and collective accomplishments that marked her time with the organization.
Her move to the Pacers in 2018 represented another significant step for women in basketball leadership, taking her from WNBA franchise building into NBA basketball operations.
She served in that role until her return to the Fever. Her second appointment reunited the organization with an executive whose experience reached back to its founding.
Before Indiana, Krauskopf was the WNBA’s first director of basketball operations. Her responsibilities included helping develop scheduling, officiating policies and the rules underpinning the league’s launch.
The Fever’s next chapter also includes a new sports performance center. Krauskopf helped lead the development of that facility, which is scheduled to open next spring.
The $78 million project will provide 108,000 square feet of space and is scheduled to open in March 2027, extending her influence beyond her departure from office.
Indiana now must identify its next president while building on consecutive playoff appearances. Friday’s announcement confirmed the leadership change, leaving the succession decision as the immediate unresolved question.
