WNBA: Indiana Fever hire Amber Cox as chief operating office and general manager

Before tuning into the on-going WNBA playoffs, hop around the women’s hoops world, catching up on the latest news:

Fever tap Cox as general manager

Amber Cox will succeed Lin Dunn as chief operating officer and general manager of the Indiana Fever, the team announced on Friday. Dunn will remain with the organization as a senior advisor.

Cox has extensive executive experience in the WNBA. Most recently, she was the chief operating officer of the Dallas Wings, overseeing day-to-day operations in addition to ticket sales and other marketing partnerships. Prior to joining Dallas before the 2022 season, Cox was vice president of the Connecticut Sun from 2016 to 2021. Along with roles with the Big East and Major League Soccer, she worked for Phoenix Mercury from 2004 to 2013, eventually ascending to president and chief operating officer.

On the opportunity, Cox said:

I am excited to be joining the Fever during this historic time in the WNBA….From the top down, there is a commitment to invest in the Fever to ensure the team’s continued growth and success, and I look forward to contributing to a world-class experience for our fans, as well as our players, both on and off the court.

Kelly Krauskopf, who was president and general manager of the Fever from 2000 to 2018, also recently rejoined the franchise as president of basketball and business operations. Since 2018, she had served as assistant general manager of the NBA’s Pacers.

The IX’s investigation of the Aces’ investigation

In late September, Howard Megdal provided the latest update on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority’s obstruction of the public records requests filed by The IX. The newsletter is seeking to unwind and understand the LVCVA’s sponsorship of Las Vegas Aces’ players; the tourism group appears to not want that to happen.

Megdal previously had uncovered coordination between members of the Aces’ front office and the LVCVA about the $100,000-per-player sponsorship deals, including the team advising the LVCVA to not disclose aspects of the plan to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Megdal writes:

The precise nature of the plan, what needed to be kept secret from Engelbert and the why of it all appears to exist in a few places that, according to an attorney familiar with Nevada public records law, should have been turned over to The IX when we originally asked for it this summer.

The LVCVA has not turned over the requested materials, nor rationalized the redactions included in the documents provided to The IX. According to Megdal, “The IX has advised the LVCVA that we are considering our legal options should the LVCVA fail to comply with these requests.”

Megdal does note that A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray have now signed their sponsorship agreements, while it appears Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young still have not signed agreements.

Top 2025 recruits make college commitments

Two top-10 recruits from the class of 2025 recently announced their college decisions.

USC further cements itself as one of women’s college hoops’ rising powers after gaining the commitment of Jasmine “Jazzy” Davidson, 2025’s No. 3-ranked recruit. Davidson, a native of Clackamas, Oregon, elected to sign with head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans over UConn, UCLA, TCU and Duke.

As described by Shane Laflin of Premier Basketball Report and ESPN:

Davidson is a high-IQ player who can play any perimeter position and is comfortable all over the floor. She asserted herself this year as a focused defensive stopper. She has the length and athleticism to be very disruptive and the footwork to navigate different actions and screens when matched up against the opponent’s best perimeter player.

Emilee Skinner, the No. 7-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, has committed to Duke, choosing to join head coach Kara Lawson’s program over Notre Dame, TCU, UCLA and Iowa.

A 6-foot-0 point guard from Utah, Skinner told ESPN, “I chose Duke because I like what coach Kara is building. The culture and the people are amazing there. Coach Kara has done everything I want to do and I want her to be my mentor through my college career.”

Evaluating Skinner’s game, Laflin writes:

A big guard, Skinner combines a shifty and slashing style that allows her to get to the paint and create offense for her teammates. She’ll fit into Lawson’s scheme as a knockdown perimeter threat and an effective finisher at the rim. She’s also a savvy defender and a floor general and should see her game flourish when she arrives in Durham next year.

Catch up on WNBA Awards season

The WNBA is just about done handing out end-of-season awards for 2024. Catch up on all the winners: