Kelly Krauskopf, Basketball Trailblazer and Longtime Executive, Will Return to the Indiana Fever as President of Basketball and Business Operations
Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 5:49 PM
INDIANAPOLIS – Kelly Krauskopf, who shaped the Indiana Fever into one of the WNBA’s winningest franchises as President and General Manager, will return to the team as President of Basketball and Business Operations when the 2024 season concludes, the Fever announced today. Krauskopf led the franchise from 2000 until 2018, when she left to become the Pacers’ Assistant General Manager and the first woman in League history to hold an executive basketball management role.
“The WNBA and the Fever have always been a part of me, and it is truly a privilege to be asked to return to lead this team at this unprecedented time of the growth in women’s basketball,” said Krauskopf. “I want to thank Kevin Pritchard for asking me to join his management staff six years ago. There’s no doubt that experience will serve me well as I enter this next chapter.”
One of the most respected executives in basketball, Krauskopf’s career in leadership at the collegiate, NBA, WNBA, and Olympic levels spans more than 35 years. In 1996, she was named the WNBA’s first Director of Basketball Operations, helping craft the rules, scheduling, and officiating policies for the League as it prepared to launch its inaugural season. She joined the Fever in 2000 prior to the team’s first year, and under her leadership the franchise became one of the WNBA’s most successful. Krauskopf’s Fever made the postseason 13 times and played in three WNBA Finals in seven years, including capturing the 2012 WNBA Championship with Head Coach Lin Dunn leading Naismith Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings and a talented roster to the title.
“Kelly’s entire career has been about stepping into critical roles and providing unparalleled leadership, and I am incredibly excited to have her lead the Fever through this historic moment for the franchise and the sport,” said Mel Raines, Chief Executive Officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “She laid the foundation for the success we are enjoying and is a true trailblazer for the sport, and there is no one better equipped to lead us into this exciting new chapter.”
Krauskopf broke a significant barrier when she joined the Pacers’ basketball leadership as Assistant General Manager in 2018, with no woman having ever served in an NBA basketball leadership role. Her adeptness at managing personnel and operations and her ability to evaluate on-court talent have made her a critical part of the Pacers’ recent success, skills that will be invaluable as both the Fever and the WNBA enter a new era of prominence and growth.
“Kelly has long been a trend-setter and trailblazer, and we could not be more excited for her as she returns to lead the Fever into a very bright future,” said Kevin Pritchard, Pacers President of Basketball Operations. “During her time with us, she was a key part of our front office and was integral in helping build the roster that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. As she leaves to write a new chapter in her already successful career, we are grateful for her contributions to the Pacers and wish her the best!”
For much of the last two decades, Krauskopf has also had a hand in the success of the USA Olympic Women’s Basketball program. She was a member of the Women’s Senior Basketball Team Committee for the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games, helping choose the powerhouse American teams that would go on to capture the Gold those years.
Krauskopf played collegiately at Stephen F. Austin under Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Coach Sue Gunter before transferring to Texas A&M, where she started her junior and senior seasons. After graduating, she served as Assistant Athletic Director at Texas A&M before joining the Southwest Conference (currently the Big XII) as Assistant Commissioner and in 2013, she was recognized as an “SEC Legend” by the Southeastern Conference.
The Fever will hold a press conference at the conclusion of the season to formally introduce Krauskopf as she begins her new role.
