Fever hire former White House adviser as COO, promote Catchings to basketball ops VP

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever have hired former White House adviser Allison Barber as its new president and chief operating officer and promoted former star Tamika Catchings to vice president of basketball operations.

Barber replaces Kelly Krauskopf, who became assistant general manager of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers in December. Barber has been serving as chancellor of Western Governors University Indiana.

She also was deputy assistant secretary of defense and special detail to the Office of Global Communications in the White House during part of the George W. Bush administration.

Barber begins her new job March 18, the Fever announced Monday.

Catchings helped Indiana win the 2012 WNBA title and earned Finals MVP honors. She also won four Olympic gold medals and the 1998 NCAA title with Tennessee.

Catchings previously served as director of player programs and franchise development. She currently serves as co-chair of the local organizing committee board for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis.

“Bringing Allison to our franchise and watching Tamika step into a larger role has leadership written all over it,” said Fever general manager and coach Pokey Chatman.