Fever President Kelly Krauskopf Steps Down; GM Amber Cox Fired, The Athletic Reports

The Indiana Fever's front office was emptied at the top on Friday, Oct. 23. Team president Kelly Krauskopf announced she was stepping down. Hours later, general manager and chief operating officer Amber Cox was out too.

The Athletic's Annie Costabile reported that Cox was fired, citing multiple sources familiar with the decision. CBS Sports reported that the team later announced Cox's departure.

Two executives out after a first-round exit

The timing follows a first-round playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces were then swept by the Golden State Valkyries a week later.

Indiana had the highest-scoring offense in WNBA history this year, at 96 points per game. It also gave up 95 points per game to Las Vegas in the series, the most of any playoff team this season, according to Newsweek's count.

The Fever have made the playoffs in each of Caitlin Clark's three seasons. They have never advanced past the semifinals, which they reached in 2025, when Indiana was knocked out by the Aces in a best-of-five series. Clark has played in five career playoff games and won one.

Krauskopf and Cox have both faced criticism for failing to build a stronger roster around Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

Krauskopf's exit was planned

Krauskopf told the organization during the season that she would step down when it ended, according to the team. She was the Fever's original president and general manager in 2000.

She stayed until 2018, when the Indiana Pacers hired her as an assistant GM, making her the first woman in NBA history in an executive basketball management role. She returned to the Fever in 2024.

Her first stint produced 13 playoff appearances, including a WNBA-record 12 straight from 2005 to 2016. It also produced the franchise's only title, in 2012, and Finals trips in 2009 and 2015.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to help build and steward the Indiana Fever with the support and trust of Herb Simon," Krauskopf said. "The Fever is poised for an exciting future, and I am proud to have helped lay the foundation for its continued growth and success."

Cox joined in 2024 as COO and GM. She previously held executive roles with the Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun.

Coach White reportedly stays

Head coach Stephanie White is expected to keep her job, according to USA Today's Meghan L. Hall. The Fever have not publicly confirmed that.

White has drawn criticism from fans for years over rotations, late-game execution and how the team has used Clark, Newsweek reported. Defense is the obvious pressure point, given the numbers against Las Vegas.

Mitchell and Clark decisions are waiting

Mitchell, drafted No. 2 overall by Indiana in 2018, is an unrestricted free agent. Cox called re-signing her a "major priority," and Clark said she and her teammates would recruit Mitchell "as hard as we can."

Mitchell herself has not committed. "I have to be selfish," she said in her exit interview. "I think that's where I am in my career ... what I probably need and what's probably best for me." She also said good chemistry on and off the floor matters to her, and noted she has played for only one team.

Clark's situation is separate. She earned $530,000 in 2026. Under the new collective bargaining agreement's Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract provision, Heavy projects she could earn a maximum of about $1.3 million in 2027. An extension could start at a projected $1.7 million in 2028, subject to eligibility and salary limits. Those are projections, not signed terms.

Clark said in her October exit interview that her focus is on winning.

A new $78 million performance center is scheduled to open in 2027. Krauskopf helped lead its development.

The Fever have not named a successor to either executive or a timeline for hiring one. Whoever takes the jobs will inherit the Mitchell negotiation and Clark's extension talks.