American sports have a built-in advantage for struggling franchises compared to the European model. Here, if you underperform, the league gives you a chance to bounce back by securing top talent to help bridge the gap. And in recent times, few teams have benefited more from that system than the Indiana Fever, whose fortunes have been transformed since landing Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf spoke with FOX59 News, opening up about how a decade of tough years, mistakes, and struggles has finally started to pay off, shaping the franchise into the team it is today.

“Any time you can get two No. 1 picks in a row, those are generational picks. Those are players that you hope, if you get it right, that are gonna be a part of the fabric of the franchise for a long time. And you know, it can change the trajectory of your team, and of your business. And it certainly has ours,” Krauskopf said in the interview.

She continued, “I jokingly have said, you know, to get two No. 1 picks, it means that you had some pretty bad years before you got those two No. 1 picks. But certainly worth the opportunity to have and to draft a player like Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. And these are the moments, as a franchise and as a sports team, you build on, and you hopefully know what happens to get there, but once you get there, it changes the trajectory of your team.”

Since lifting the trophy in 2012 with Tamika Catchings leading the charge, the Fever have spent years chasing that same magic. Their trip to the Finals in 2015 was the last real taste of it, before the long slide began and the glory days faded into the rearview mirror.

Indiana’s winless playoff exit in 2016 opened the door to a nightmare stretch. From there, it only got worse: 9–25 in 2017, 6–28 in 2018, 13–21 in 2019, 6–16 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, then 6–26 in 2021, 5–31 in 2022, and 13–27 in 2023. Seven straight years without a playoff berth, and rock bottom finishes in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

Luckily for the Fever, those brutal years came with lottery picks, and that opened the door to back-to-back No. 1 selections in 2023 and 2024, giving them a shot at two generational talents: Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. And that has completely flipped the trajectory of the franchise. In Clark’s first season, Indiana made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and they backed it up this year by charging all the way to the semifinals.

And here’s the bonus. With more than 80% of the league expected to hit free agency as new CBA talks roll on, the Fever will still have Clark and Boston locked in on rookie deals. That gives Indiana real cap flexibility to go out and build a roster capable of contending next season. That’s the upside of “being bad.”

Speaking of building a roster ready to contend, one of the Fever’s top priorities will be bringing Kelsey Mitchell back. And even in the W offseason, the CC–Kelsey connection is still going strong, with their friendship very much alive despite the games being on pause.

Caitlin Clark Shows Support for Kelsey Mitchell

It was a W season to remember for Kelsey Mitchell. With Caitlin Clark limited to just 13 games, Mitchell carried the load and finished the regular season as the league’s second-leading scorer with 890 points, averaging 20.2 points and 3.4 assists per game.

She was the engine of the Fever all year, leading them to their first playoff series win in a decade and pushing them to within one victory of the Finals.

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And now, a new chapter awaits. Mitchell is set to suit up for Hive BC in the upcoming season of Unrivaled, and on Tuesday, she gave fans a sneak peek, sharing photos in her new jersey to tease what’s coming. It wasn’t long before Caitlin Clark chimed in, showing her love and support.

“Let’s go, Kels!!!!!!” Clark commented, a clear sign she’ll be right there cheering when Mitchell suits up in Unrivaled, even if she won’t be playing herself. And despite Clark sitting it out, the Fever will still have plenty of representation, with Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston, Aari McDonald, and Makayla Timpson all set to feature.

Looking ahead, it’ll be fascinating to see what moves the Fever front office makes to turn this group into a genuine contender. They already have a young core of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson locked in on rookie deals, and you’d expect the likes of Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull to be high on the re-sign list.

From there, it’s all about how they build around that core.