It was supposed to be a championship year in Indiana. Instead, the Fever lost in the first round, and then things moved fast. On Oct. 23, the team president stepped down, and the GM, Amber Cox, was fired on the same day. Now, the front office is empty, and the team has to find new leadership before free agency opens. The twist is who is helping with that search, because the answer leads straight back to the face of the franchise, Caitlin Clark.

“The @IndianaFever have hired Excel Search & Advisory to lead their GM search following Amber Cox’s firing. Pacers Sports & Entertainment will consolidate business operations under CEO Mel Raines and leave the team president role vacant as Indiana looks to build around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston,” reported Sports Business Journal on X.

Excel Search & Advisory is owned by Excel Sports Management, the agency that represents Clark. In simple terms, the firm helping the Fever find a GM is tied to their biggest star’s agency. Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which runs the team, will still make the final call, with input from players, likely including Clark and Boston.

Excel has led searches across women’s sports, including for the NWSL, the Portland Thorns, the Atlanta Dream, and the Toronto Tempo. It is also running the search for the next WNBA commissioner, since Cathy Engelbert is leaving at the end of the year.

Grant Young of Fever On SI argued that the move may look like a conflict of interest at first, but he believes it simply makes Clark’s role in the process more formal. He also said fans can feel sure Clark will approve of whoever gets hired.

That brings us to what this means for Clark and the team. She has already shown that she wants a say. In her exit interview earlier this month, she said she would host free-agent recruits in Indianapolis if it helped the Fever. With no team president, Raines will run the business side, while the new GM will handle day-to-day basketball decisions and player moves.

Between player input and a GM focused on the roster, the stars will have a clear voice in how this team is built.

There is no set timeline for the hire, but free agency opens in January 2027, so the clock is ticking. PS&E has said it will conduct a national search. The goal is to build around Clark and Boston and win the franchise’s first title since 2012.

As for names, there are a few candidates. One is Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and deputy commissioner of the Upshot League. Others include Eli Horowitz, the Toronto Tempo’s assistant GM, and Swin Cash, a former Pelicans executive and three-time WNBA champion.

What the Next Fever GM Will Walk Into

Whoever gets the job inherits a team that is close but not there yet. Under Cox, the Fever went 52-36 in the regular season and 5-6 in the playoffs. This year, the Las Vegas Aces knocked them out in the first round. Marca noted that the Fever led the league with 96 points per game, but their defense cost them in that series.

The first big task is money. Kelsey Mitchell is a free agent after a career-best season, and she will likely command a max deal. Sophie Cunningham is also headed to the open market. The new GM must be able to “navigate this salary cap situation they’re in.” It was also pointed out that Boston’s supermax in 2027 takes up 20 percent of the cap, while Clark is eligible for a raise of up to 17 percent.

The second task is the spotlight. “There is a microscope around the Fever,” and a new GM has to handle the noise that comes with Clark’s star power. That means the next GM needs a strong basketball mind and thick skin. Add the need to fix the defense, and it is a long to-do list for someone starting in the middle of an offseason.

For now, the search is on, and Excel is leading it. What remains to be seen is who the Fever land and how much say their stars have in the end.