After a disappointing 2026 season that ended in the first round of the playoffs, the Indiana Fever are making big changes to their front office. Kelly Krauskopf resigned and GM Amber Cox was fired. Head coach Stephanie White could be next. It is rare for a new GM to work with a coach hired by someone else instead of bringing in their own candidate. 

Whoever will be the next Fever GM faces a tall task. Even if Kelsey Mitchell is on her way out, the Fever still have Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark and simply have to build a winning roster around them. It’s not an easy job, and the Fever cannot afford to get it wrong. The right candidate should check at least most of these boxes. 

1. They Can Ignore the Outside Noise

Being the Fever GM is perhaps the most difficult GMing job in the entire WNBA because of the extra attention and scrutiny Caitlin Clark brings to the franchise. Whoever takes on this job must be able to operate confidently and precisely amid all the outside noise. Lots of people will hate and criticise their choices, but they cannot let that deter them. 

2. They Mesh Well With Caitlin Clark

In modern professional basketball, star players and their opinions matter. If the Fever want to keep Clark happy and in Indiana for as long as possible—ideally her entire career—they have to find a GM who is willing to incorporate her in big roster and coaching decisions and respect her opinions. That doesn’t mean they have to do everything Clark wants, but there needs to be mutual respect and understanding between the two.

3. They Can Build Strong Relationships With Free Agents Quickly 

Free agency is a vital part of the roster-building process in the WNBA. Since the Fever won’t have high draft picks for a while, attracting top talent in free agency will be key for them. But after hearing players like Mitchell and Boston speak about how tough it can be to play for the Fever, the top free agents in the W will likely think twice about coming to Indiana and explore other options first. 

That means whoever lands this GM job will have to figure out how to market playing with Clark and Boston, the Fever’s new facility, and the team’s potential in a way that overshadows all of the other stuff. Free agents won’t believe that they can thrive in an environment like Indiana if they don’t trust the GM. If the Fever cannot find someone who already has relationships with at least some players in the W, they must find a GM who can build those relationships quickly and make them last. 

4. They Value Defense

Defense wins championships. That saying is especially true this year. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries both had three players each on the All-Defensive teams. The Fever, meanwhile, had none. When healthy, Aliyah Boston belongs in those conversations, but that doesn’t help the Fever much if their perimeter defense is non-existent. A team built around Caitlin Clark needs to have better perimeter defenders next to her than this year’s Fever roster did. If the GM does not understand that, they will struggle to build a title contender. 

5. They Understand the Importance of International Scouting

Clark, Boston, and Mitchell (if she re-signs) are very expensive players—or will be soon, in Clark’s case. Moreover, Cox signed Minque Billings and Lexie Hull to expensive two-year deals that neither player lived up to. The Fever will have to build out their supporting cast with cheap, quality depth. A good way to find those players is by exploring the international player pool—think Pauline Astier, Janelle Salaün, Marine Fauthoux, or Monique Akoa Makani. They are ready to contribute now, but young enough to have plenty of upside and play on cheap contracts. 

The Fever have not taken advantage of undrafted talent or development projects in Europe, Australia, or Asia recently. Tapping into that player pool will become more important as their stars’ salaries continue to increase. It is also a good way to find young talent for a team that won’t have high draft picks or might even have to trade some of their future picks.