Fever fire general manager Amber Cox hours after Kelly Krauskopf steps down

The Indiana Fever fired general manager Amber Cox on Friday, hours after team president Kelly Krauskopf said she was stepping down. The team announced the move on X Friday evening, describing it as the departure of its chief operating officer and GM.

Stephanie White is expected to remain the Fever's coach, ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported, citing sources.

Cox ran basketball operations for two seasons. The Fever went 52-36 over that stretch. This year they finished 28-16, landed the No. 6 seed for a third straight season and lost to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. Indiana had the highest-scoring offense in league history in 2026, according to ESPN, but struggled to defend. Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston were all All-Stars.

"Through her two seasons with the Fever, Amber has helped us navigate the seismic growth of both the WNBA and our franchise," Mel Raines, president and CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said in a statement. "We're grateful for her contributions and wish her the very best moving forward."

The timing of the two exits may not be connected. ESPN reported that Krauskopf, who returned to the Fever in the fall of 2024, had planned to stay only two or three years and told team leadership before the end of the regular season that she was leaving.

Whoever takes over has real work waiting. Mitchell, the No. 2 pick in 2018, is an unrestricted free agent and said at the end of the season that she would look around the league. Clark is still on her rookie contract and is eligible for an extension under the new collective bargaining agreement. Cox's signings of Monique Billings, Myisha Hines-Allen and Tyasha Harris did not work out as the team hoped, ESPN reported.

At her final news conference, Cox said negative portrayals of Fever fans "have no basis in reality," a comment former Fever player Brianna Turner disputed on social media.