If you’re an Indiana Pacers fan, we’re sure you might remember Karen Atkeson, who was seen consoling veteran guard T.J. McConnell after their heartbreaking Game 7 defeat in the NBA Finals. Fresh off an emotional defeat after being just one win away from the Larry O’Brien trophy, it was surely an emotional time.

So, it was only obvious that Pacers guard T.J. McConnell headed to the locker room with tears in his eyes. It was there that he was met with a big, warm hug by Atkeson. ESPN on ABC tried to capture the moment, even though they might’ve crossed the line while doing so. That’s why the cameraman was quickly shooed away by Atkeson as she consoled McConnell.

While it was just a brief moment, the fans loved what she did, but not many know who the woman is. Many assumed that she was the Indiana star’s mother. However, she’s Karen Atkeson, Pacers vice president of player relations. Although it’s been a minute, a lot of people still don’t know much about Atkeson, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

What is Karen Atkenson’s role with the Indiana Pacers?

Atkeson is one of the most loved and appreciated executives within the Indiana Pacers organization. She has been the team’s Vice President of Player Relations since the 2019-20 season. Her role is to connect with the players and support them with matters off the court. Not just that, she promotes a family-like environment within the franchise by understanding what players need.

We mean, the incident with T.J. McConnell should be enough to give you an idea of how well connected she is with the Indiana Pacers players. However, there’s even more to her role than just supporting players. Karen Atkeson acts as a liaison between the players and the front office. That means, not only does she help players, she also helps the front office understand their athletes.

What has been Karen Atkeson’s career journey with the Pacers Sports & Entertainment?

Being the Vice President of Player Relations, it’s only obvious that the fans don’t know much about Karen Atkeson. After all, most of the work she does is within the organization, and that’s not something the fans get to see day in and day out. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t take away the fact that what Atkeson does for the organization is equally important to what the players do on the court. That’s a reason why she’s been with the Pacers Sports & Entertainment since 1997.

That’s over two and a half decades with the Pacers, which is commendable to say the least. You can even go as far as saying that she’s seen everything during her long career with the franchise. However, she didn’t start off at this very position back in 1997. On the contrary, Atkeson has worked her way up the ladder with time and hard work. She started her journey with the Pacers as Director of Promotions, then moved up the ranks and became the Director of Player Relations in 2014.

That was just the beginning of her career in player relations as she took her next big step in 2018, when she was was appointed as the Senior Director of Player Development. However, after just a year at that position, she was offered the role of Vice President of Player Relations, which Karen Atkeson gladly accepted. So, it’s safe to say that she’s earned her way to the top.

What moment made Karen Atkeson go viral during the 2025 NBA Finals?

Last season ended in the most brutal way possible for the Indiana Pacers. Not only did they lose their superstar player, Tyrese Haliburton, but despite being only one step away from glory, the Pacers fell short. So, we can only imagine the emotions running through the players’ minds, especially their 33-year-old guard T.J. McConnell. It’s safe to say that it was too much to take, even for someone as calm and composed as the Pacers guard.

That’s the reason why he headed to the tunnel with tears in his eyes and did not know what to do. It was then he met Karen Atkeson, who was waiting inside the tunnel to console him. McConnell has finally broken his silence about that moment. “You can see this woman just kind of notice the camera guy — immediately block him from me — and then motion at him like, SIR. SIR, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP. LEAVE T.J. ALONE,’” he recalled.

Atkeson stopped the cameraman from filming as she made sure that she helped McConnell. It was her protective nature that made fans think that she’s McConnell’s mother. This he cleared in this very interview with The Players Tribune. “That’s not my mom,” he said. And now we know exactly who she is.