Kelly Krauskopf hoping to do what she did before with Indiana Fever

As Krauskopf is speaking with reporters, she is asked about being a part of the Pacers front office. That team just reached the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals while led by a stellar young point guard, a situation that the Fever are sitting in now. Yet as Krauskopf answers question about the Pacers and their roster built around Tyrese Haliburton, plus the parallels that come with doing something similar with Caitlin Clark‘s team, Krauskopf’s words go in a different direction.

“The good news is, I do have a blueprint personally. Because that’s what I did around a player named Tamika Catchings,” Krauskopf said. “[Taika was] rookie of the year herself as well as MVP… finding those right fits around a point guard like [Caitlin] is going to make us awfully dangerous. I’m looking forward to that challenge.”

Back in 2001, the Indiana Fever were preparing for the just the second WNBA Draft in franchise history. It was the first time the team had a first-round pick — all of their first rounders were dealt away before the inaugural season in 2000. Krauskopf was the general manager of the Fever at the time, and her first top-pick was third overall.

She took a risk, yet it’s one that seems obvious in hindsight. Krauskopf selected Catchings, who had a torn right ACL and would miss her entire rookie season. Could a new franchise handle that? Was it the right move? Indiana went 10-22 with Catchings sidelined during year one, bringing their franchise’s total record to 19-45 across two seasons in the WNBA.

Catchings would return in 2002. Nikki McCray, a three-time All-Star guard, was added. Indiana reached the playoffs and won a postseason game for the first time in franchise history. A new era was underway, and Krauskopf was there to steer it all.

There are many turning points along the way. The Fever added Tully Bevilaqua, a defensive menace, in the backcourt in 2005. That move pushed Indiana to a 21-13 record, and they won a playoff series for the first time. Two years later, Tammy Sutton-Brown was brought in and instantly made an All-Star team. Indiana reached the Conference Finals for the first time.

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To get over the next hump, Krauskopf made her second coaching change and brought in Lin Dunn, who is now a senior advisor for Krauskopf’s current front office. The Dunn-led Fever climbed to the WNBA finals in 2009, their first appearance on the biggest stage. Several of the team’s best players in franchise history — Erlana Larkins, Katie Douglas, and Briann January, to name a few — were acquired over the next few years as Indiana finally reached the summit and won a title in 2012. With Dunn’s coaching, Catching’s brilliance, and several other excellent players, the Fever were champions.

“It was an incredible journey; every single person here was a part of it,” Krauskopf said of that title two years ago.

The now-Fever president built that squad, and they reached the WNBA Finals again two years later. Catchings stayed with the Fever for her entire career, and Krauskopf made sure that the team was a winner in that era. From Catchings first game until her last, the Fever went 282-226, good for a 55.5% win percentage. They reached three WNBA Finals and won 12 playoff series.

Krauskopf’s new objective is to repeat that success. “You’re looking for the right types of players that can play that style of basketball around [Clark],” Krauskopf said.

During her introductory press conference, Krauskopf said that the Fever have two foundation players, those being Aliyah Boston and Clark. “Probably three,” she adds, referring to Kelsey Mitchell‘s looming free agency makes her future somewhat unknown. Krauskopf added that the team intends to have conversations with Mitchell and keep her informed about her importance. She was still in the Fever’s front office when they initially drafted the two-time All-Star guard.

Krauskopf wants to add to that. She remembers adding veterans around Catchings, players she described as those that “have been in the foxhole.” The new president knows there isn’t a quick fix to building a contender. Yet things might be quicker this time. She was quite literally building a team from scratch during her first stint running the Indiana Fever. Now, she has a base that includes two first-round draft picks and consecutive Rookie of the Year winners.

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The former Pacers assistant GM also wants to build on the franchise’s culture. She wants the organization to have high expectations, and she hopes to put in the supports that make achieving those expectations possible. That goes beyond team and staff building. That involves facilities, equipment, and much more. Krauskopf knows how important it is.

“This is a winning franchise. We’ve had constant success of winning and being in the playoffs. My plan is to return us to that level of consistency,” Krauskopf said. “That takes commitment. That takes players that are really invested in being great players and being a great team.”

Indiana needs some frontcourt depth. They need to be a better shooting team, and their defense is not good enough to win at a high level. There is work to be done on the roster.

Many of those problems were also concerns the last time Krauskopf was running the Indiana Fever. Yet she got Catchings-led groups to the title. They hoisted a trophy, and she hopes to repeat that success with Clark, Boston, and the rest of her resources.

“Caitlin Clark was 10 years old when we won our first championship,” Krauskopf said. “I say first because we’re going to have another one at some point.”

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