October 8, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Indiana’s future with Caitlin Clark
By The Next
Megdal: 'This is somebody who understands the W in her bones'
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, Howard Megdal breaks down Kelly Krauskopf’s introductory press conference as the Indiana Fever’s new president of basketball and business operations.
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From discussing her decision to come back to the Fever, to how to help the team take the next step after a playoff appearance in 2024, Krauskopf covered lots of ground. Early conversation centered around the presence of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell on the roster.
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“It’s clear that we have two foundational players, probably three,” she said. “You get two rookies of the year in a row with a front court player in Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and then Kelsey Mitchell. I think that the veteran leadership that Kelsey was able to provide, we need to help her. We need to add to that. … It’s not a magic bullet, there’s not a quick fix, but I do think this team needs a little bit more experience, probably some more size. And, if you look at the teams that are in the playoffs right now, they’re loaded with players who have been there.”
Megdal later broke down Krauskopf’s discussion of continuing to grow the franchise on the business side of things.
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“Kelly spent formative years, 18 years running, operating at the Indiana Fever, spent time in the league office working with Val Ackerman. This is somebody who understands the W in her bones,” Megdal said. “This is also somebody who has operated at a different business speed, the NBA, over the past six years. And let’s be real about this. The 2025 Indiana Fever, business-wise, are in a very different place than they were when Kelly left in 2018 to go over to the Indiana Pacers side. This is, and you heard her talk about it, the NBA is a mature business. I made this comparison on the show before; I will do so again. The NBA and men’s sports is a developed economy. The WNBA and women’s sports is a developing economy. This is not a slight. This is a reflection, in fact, that your percentages can go up exponentially more.”
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