Sports
Indiana Fever fire GM Amber Cox hours after president Kelly Krauskopf steps down
Indiana's front office is empty heading into a pivotal offseason built around Caitlin Clark, with Kelsey Mitchell set to hit free agency.
The Indiana Fever cleaned out the top of their front office on Friday. The team fired general manager Amber Cox, according to multiple reports, only hours after announcing that team president Kelly Krauskopf was stepping down.
Krauskopf played a key part in bringing Cox aboard as general manager and chief operating officer. Now the franchise built around Caitlin Clark heads into one of its most important offseasons with neither of its two top executives in place.
The moves follow a season that fell well short of the title talk in Indianapolis. The Fever went 28-16, landed the No. 6 seed for a third straight year and lost to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. In Cox's two seasons in charge Indiana went a combined 52-36.
A record offense with a leaky defense
Indiana scored more than any team in WNBA history in 2026 but had trouble getting stops. Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston were all named All-Stars. Mitchell finished second in the league in scoring while Clark was third in scoring and second in assists.
The offseason additions of Monique Billings, Myisha Hines-Allen and Tyasha Harris did not work out as hoped. Billings and Lexie Hull are each due about $800,000 next season, a pair of deals that drew heavy criticism.
A franchise builder steps away
Krauskopf was the Fever's first president and general manager when the team debuted in 2000. In her first run Indiana made the playoffs 13 times in 19 seasons, including a WNBA-record 12 straight trips from 2005 through 2016. The Fever also won their only championship in 2012 on her watch.
In 2018 she joined the Indiana Pacers as an assistant general manager. That made her the first woman in NBA history to hold an executive basketball management role. She later returned to lead the Fever.
In a statement, Krauskopf called it an honor and a privilege to help build the team with the support and trust of owner Herb Simon. "The Fever is poised for an exciting future," she said.
Big decisions ahead
Whoever takes over will face major questions right away. Mitchell, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, is an unrestricted free agent. "I have to be selfish," she said in her exit interview, adding that she has only been with one team her entire career.
Clark is eligible for a contract extension and has hinted she could take less money to help build the roster. "I certainly know what I deserve and what I'm worth, but at the same time, sometimes you have to make sacrifices," she said.
No replacement for either executive has been named. It is also unclear whether new leadership would keep coach Stephanie White.
