Sports
Kelly Krauskopf to leave Fever presidency after nearly three decades with franchise
Kelly Krauskopf is stepping down as Indiana Fever president, ending a tenure that began when she helped launch the team in 1999. The team has not announced who will succeed her.
Indiana Fever president Kelly Krauskopf is leaving the role, Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced Friday, Oct. 23. The organization said Krauskopf made the decision herself and informed its leaders before the end of the 2026 regular season.
Krauskopf helped establish the Fever in 1999 as the franchise’s first president and general manager. She assembled the team that won the 2012 WNBA championship and became a central figure in the growth of women’s basketball in Indianapolis.
She left the Fever in 2018 to become an assistant general manager with the Indiana Pacers. At the time, she became the first woman to hold an executive basketball management role in NBA history. Krauskopf returned to the Fever as president in 2024.
In a statement, Krauskopf said she was grateful for the opportunity to help build and guide the franchise and expressed confidence in its future. Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon credited her with building the team, delivering a championship and returning when the organization needed her.
The Fever did not announce a succession plan. Krauskopf’s departure closes a nearly 30-year connection with the franchise, from its launch through its championship era and return to the center of Indianapolis’ basketball landscape.