The Indiana Fever have yet to name their next general manager, but their front-office rebuild is already moving forward. Amber Cox was fired on October 23, hours after team president Kelly Krauskopf stepped down, leaving Indiana to reshape its leadership following a first-round playoff exit to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
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The restructuring goes beyond replacing Cox. Indiana will not appoint another team president, with PS&E president and CEO Mel Raines overseeing business operations and the next GM taking charge of basketball decisions. That search remains open, but the Fever are not waiting for it to end before making further changes.
According to IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson, the Fever have hired former Portland Trail Blazers scouting manager Sheri Sam as assistant general manager. She starts November 2, focusing on scouting and analytics.
Sam joined Portland as scouting manager in March 2022, working with the front office to evaluate collegiate and professional players.
The Fever have been considering Sheri Sam for this role since the summer, and just like with Portland, Sam arrives with the intention of improving the Fever’s scouting and player evaluation. Sam will primarily work with the scouting and coaching staff on personnel and talent identification, starting with involving herself in scouting players during the upcoming NCAA basketball season.
Sam had quite the collegiate career herself. As a member of the Vanderbilt Athletic Hall of Fame, Sam led the women’s basketball team to four straight NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 1993.
Sam also brings a decade of WNBA playing experience, winning championships with the Seattle Storm in 2004 and the Detroit Shock in 2008. She earned an All-Star selection with the Miami Sol in 2002.
The appointment also marks a return to Indiana, where Sam played for the Fever in 2007. Nearly two decades later, she is rejoining the organization in a front-office role, this time helping identify and evaluate the players who could shape its next chapter.
Her experience extends to coaching as well. Before joining Portland’s scouting department, Sam served as an assistant coach for the Eastern Illinois women’s basketball team from 2013 to 2017.
It is clear the Fever are going all out to improve their scouting, as Sheri Sam is not the only recent hire. Former collegiate basketball player Vernard “Nard” Hollins announced on his “Always 100” handle on X that he has accepted a scouting position with the Indiana Fever.
“To have the opportunity to bring my knowledge, experience, and passion for basketball to a WNBA organization is truly a blessing,” Hollins wrote. “I’m grateful to the Indiana Fever for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to contribute to their organization.
“From being a player to becoming a trainer, mentor, program founder, and now a scout, basketball has continued to open doors I never expected. I’m thankful for everyone who has supported me along the way, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Hollins played basketball on the collegiate level with Wright State University, where he scored 1,700 points. He went on to play professionally for 10 seasons in eight different countries, including Mexico, Germany, Macedonia, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary, and Austria.
In 2011, Hollins launched his company, Always 100, “a non-profit triggering the development of the Always 100 Basketball Academy, which conducts pro-level, high-intensity group and individual workouts with youth, high school, and collegiate level athletes.”
Three years later, he expanded with Always 100 International, a similar high-level training program designed for international athletes. Hollins also plans to remain involved with Always 100 while taking on his scouting responsibilities with the Fever.
Excel Search & Advisory is assisting Indiana’s national GM search, with ownership making the final decision after input from players and other key figures. No hiring timetable has been announced. Stephanie White is expected to remain head coach, according to ESPN and The Athletic, with the latter reporting she has one year remaining on her contract.
From attaining NBA to international-level exposure personnel, the Indiana Fever’s offseason is looking busier than ever, as the quest to win their first WNBA championship since 2012 begins with an upstairs shake-up.