In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an iheartwomen's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to another episode of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams, and I'm super excited about this week's guests. She is the newly named Chief Operating Officer and general manager of the Indiana Fever. Please welcome to the show, Amber Cox, Amber, how are you.
I'm so good, Thank you so much for having me, such a fan of the pod. Just feel honored to be here today with you.
We are excited to have you here this week. Firstly, congratulations on your new role with the Indiana Fever. Can you tell us how did that opportunity come across your desk and why was Indiana that landing spot for you? Yeah?
Obviously I was with the Dallas Wings previously. Really enjoyed my time with Dallas there as the COO, very happy with you know, the direction we were headed. And then I got a call from Kelly Crosscoff, who you know, had moved from obviously the architect of the Fever, the original architect of the Fever had moved to the Pacers for several seasons and had come back over to be the president of the Fever. Kelly and I have known each other for, you know, twenty years. She's been a
great mentor of mine throughout my career. I've leaned on her as I'd made different decisions, both personally and professionally. So when she called and asked me to come over and be a part of what was going on in Indiana, it was a no brainer. So the opportunity to be back in the Midwest I'm from Missouri, and then also to work alongside Kelly and the great leadership in Indiana, I just couldn't pass it up.
Your resume in sports span over two decades, you had several stops within the w NBA. You just mentioned Dallas being your previous spot. When you think about the span of your journey in your career, what's one of the most surreal moments on your journey so far?
I mean, I think we're in it right, Like I started in two thousand and five with the Mercury and was there nine seasons, and we had a lot of success, and you know, we've had inflection points in the league right, whether it's winning championships or you know, drafting Britain Griner and then in Connecticut going to the finals and that
great fan base. So there have been these inflection points, but certainly over the last season, really seeing the consistency across our league in the rise in fandom, viewership, just all the metrics trending in such a positive way has really been fulfilling. After being on this journey for so long, I live in a bit of you know, I won't say pessimism, but you know, you've been in this a long time, right, and we want to keep this moving
in the right direction. So I think really staying through to the processes that we've been utilizing for twenty years to lay the foundation of this league is going to be critically important. I mean, we've still got a lot of people out there to reach, a lot of people to get in the building, to be tuning in. This thing can really continue to be a rocket ship. So really excited about obviously the direction that the league is heading.
The way the Indiana Fever has exploded here over the last couple of seasons, so it's been a lot of fun, but it's certainly been surreal after all these years in the league.
You're stopping Phoenix, and that franchise during your tenure had won two championships. So how did being a part of that organization winning those two championships help shape your approach to wanting to build a winning culture, a championship culture. Now with the Indiana.
Fever, I've said many times that every step in my journey in the WNBA and out has really prepared me, I think for this opportunity. And both in Phoenix and Connecticut, I had the opportunity to be involved more on the basketball side. I was not in Dallas. It was just on the business side of things. So towards the end of my tenure, really stepping into that role working closely
with our players. I mean, when you work alongside somebody like Diana Tarassi every single day and you see the work ethic and the commitment and how dialed in she is to the success and committed to the organization. And there were a lot of people that came through there that had that same mentality, whether it's Penny Taylor or you know, Dowana Bonner, Candas Dupree. So we had a lot of great veteran leadership through the years when I was there, and I learned a lot from listening to them,
and I think that's really critical. That's not going to change. I mean, we have to be have great transparent communication with our players. Obviously with the coaching staff. We want to be in lockstep with them to make sure that what we're doing in terms of player acquisition and draft really fits the style of play that your coach wants
to play. So that was really such an incredible experience, starting as a dire vector of marketing, and by the time I left was the president of business and basketball operations, really you know, running both sides. So you know, it was I started with the training wheels and by the end I felt like I was a pretty seasoned veteran and ready to go out into the world. For sure.
One of your first moves in your new role with the Indiana Fevers front office was acquiring the head coach in Stephanie White. Why was that important for you to have that first piece in this new building block, Bie, Stephanie White.
Well, look like Stephanie is Indiana Basketball royalty as a player, as a coach, I mean, what she did here at every what she's done here at every level, including with the Fever in her first stint as the head coach just made a lot of sense for us. I think where we are in our journey, you know, bringing in somebody that has experience sitting in that lead seat and has obviously had a lot of success in this league
was critically important. So, you know, just bringing Stephan, I've been a long admirer of her work, never had the opportunity to work with her. Obviously, Kelly Crosscoff and Lynn Dunn have worked with Steph. So it just made a lot of sense for our franchise on so many levels. So thrilled to have her, and as she's building her staff those additions as well coming in and being a part of the Snatch chapter.
There are some specific areas that you think Steph will make the biggest impact with the roster that you're building now.
I think she understands the style of play we need to play with, you know, Caitlin at the Helm obviously,
the speed that we want to play. We want to play fast, and I think, you know, that's who Steph was as a player, and you know what I've seen from her through the years is she finds, you know, no matter what the roster look looks like, She's going to put players in the best position to be successful, and she's going to mix it up right, So I think just her experience coming in, she's going to be able to really think about things through a different lens
put our our players in great positions to be successful on both sides of the ball. We had, especially the second half of the season, a lot of success offensively. When you talk about Caitlin and Kelsey and that backcourt, it's just lethal, right, and then you add Alah in the mix, who continues to evolve her game and step
out and she's a great passer. But I think, you know, thinking about the defensive end of the ball, and you know the type of player and coach Steph as always will see some improvement on that side as well, and we'll certainly think about that as we go into free agency in the draft too. How do we bolster with some players that really have a great focus on that side of the ball.
I know, Van, we're super excited to see that small glimpse of stuff in Kaitlyn working out over the last couple of days, So that was very exciting to be able to just get a little sneak peek into what you guys are working with in Indiana. From a general manager's perspective, what traits make Caitlyn Clark an ideal building block for the Fevers future success.
Well, first of all, she loves the game. I mean, she's a gym rat. She's constantly working on getting better, and that's obviously on the court, but that's in the weight room, she's that's watching film. So I think she's inquisitive. She's very curious about how to continue to get better and obviously had an incredible rookie season, but is not satisfied.
And it's it's really interesting again, like how this feels a little deja vous because I came in with Diana in year two and I'm coming in in year two with Caitlin, and I see a lot of similarities just in the way that they work, how they communicate, how invested they are in their respective franchises. Caitlyn is very similar and she's a lot of fun. I mean, I tell you, I think as I've gotten to know her,
just a great person to be around. So I think that ability to be a great teammate people, that someone that people and players want to come play with. We're going to continue to see that more and more as we get were of Caitlin Clark off the court and who she is as a person. She's truly a great human being.
Specifically stood out to you about her during your first meeting with her, Like, what was that first impression like, because since then you've been looking kind of from afar when you were with the Dallas Wings, but now you're in to think of it with the fever. What was that first meeting like with her?
She's really down to earth, you know, she wants to be a part of the Annapolis community. You know, she's willing to and excited to get out and be a part of what we're doing through our community efforts. Again, very inquisitive in terms of, you know, my thoughts, what do you think always wanted to talk about players? Constantly watching basketball. I mean, you know, doesn't matter if we're talking nda women's college, men's college. I mean, she's tuned
into all of it. So it's just really fun to be around her because she is a student of the game and is constantly wanting to grow and talk about you know, different opportunities and with this work and what about this player. So it's a lot of fun. It's been fun getting to know her.
All right, y'all, We're gonna take a quick pause right now and then when we get back more from this conversation with Indiana Feaver chief operating officer and general manager Ambercox, Hanna is having a star like Caitlin Clark on the roster impact the way that you approach that coming up. And also you have an unrestricted free agent and Kelsey Mitchell, who has publicly expressed you know she will explore all
of her options. But from a general manager's perspective, how do you approach that going into the next season.
Well, look, we want Kelsey back. She had an incredible career here and I've said many times that you know, she's been through some rough years with the fever. You know, in terms of a rebuild and being the placed from gamebridge Field House, no one deserves this opportunity to be a part of this success more than Kelsey. I've been a fan of hers for many years. I think she's a great person and you hear other players around the league talk about what a wonderful human being she is.
So obviously want her back and to be a part of to be a part of this, and I'll put you know, I'll put Aliyah in there with Caitlin as well. To have these two back to back number one picks is really special. And I think the two of them and what they can accomplish over the next you know, decade plus if you're like Diana, I'm playing multiple decades can really just be record setting. It can be like nothing we've ever seen. So I'm excited for the two of them to build together. And then when we get
to free agency. I mean, you saw when we got to the playoffs last year and we're playing Connecticut. They kept putting the graphic up that was like, you know, I think it was single digit or maybe you know, in the ten number of playoff games compared to whatever Connecticut's number was. So I think thinking about that, you know, adding veteran leadership that has some of that playoff experience that can really come in and provide, you know, guidance
for our younger players who haven't been there yet. It's really our focus. I think. You know, again, we talked about the defensive end of the ball that's going to be really important. And then and then back to Steph's system, wanting to run and really play with pace, you know, fitting into that as well is going to be important,
so a lot of factors. Obviously, we want great people coming into the organization, but I would think any free agent would be really excited to come in here and play with these two cornerstone players that have so much talent and are just ready to, you know, take things to the next level.
I think the entire world was shocked, or the w NBA expands in draft when Timmy Fatminlay became available, especially because when you look at last season, she played a really huge part in the Fever's success in terms of getting to that point where you all were able to make the playoffs, but also her ability to run the floor with Caitlyn Clark and how their games complimented each other. And we think about, you know, that expansion draft, what was the thought process in making her available.
You know, it's really part of an overall plan which hopefully everyone will see unfold throughout the off season. The expansion draft is difficult. It's hard to lose a player.
You know, six is not very many when you think about protecting protecting anybody on your roster, and this group obviously built great camaraderie the second half of the season, so that was not an easy decision, but again part of a bigger plan that I hope everyone will see get to see unfold as we get into the rest of the off season.
What would you say is the identity of the team that you want to build with this fever roster and what specific needs do you see being that missing piece to getting you all into that championship contending team.
Yeah, I think we're still developing the identity. You know, I think these young players are really still figuring out who they want to be. I mean, to a person, I think what's wonderful about this roster is they truly love the game right and the second half of the season you saw it really come together. They loved playing for and with each other. That is just I mean, you've been around and at a long time and the great teams that isn't the foundation is that culture, that
locker room. They're in it for each other. So I think you've got that. But I think we're still developing the identity. And when you think about again, we talked about you know, veteran leadership, getting better on the defensive side of the ball. You know, some of those things I think will help shape who we've become over the next year or two, so thinking about that as we head into free agency as well.
Kaitlyn Clark was recently named Times Athlete of the Year and Washington Mystic's co owner Shayla Johnson, you know, responded to that by saying, I think the w n B A and its entirety should have been featured. How do you respond to those comments and do you think this should the ward should have been given to the entire w NBA rather than Kaitlyn Clark individually.
I think Kaitlyn Clark deserved that award. And here's my here's my experience as I've as I've thought about this, right, like through the years, dating back to the beginning of the league, right there have been incredible players, incredible basketball. We all know that. There have been great people working on the front office side as well, trying to build the foundation, build the fandom around it. Sports to me
is generational. You know, we've been at this not very long, less than thirty years, right comparatively when you're talking about other leagues, and you know, like I'm a Saint Louis Cardinals baseball fan because my grandpa was, you know, we have not really we've been through like one generation. So we're still growing in that regard, and there have been a lot of like I said, great players, great people working on the business. We've had a lot of incredible
inflection points. I mean, I think about again my days in Phoenix, my days in Connecticut, even you know when we Dallas went to the semifinals a couple of years ago, and what that those crowds look like. And we always talk about and since the beginning, what I you know, have learned since the beginning of my tenure with Phoenix is you get people in the door the first time and they're going to come back because the basketball is great,
the entertainment is second to none. The community of w fans is so inclusive and embracing, and we've been able to do that as we've built the league, right the numbers have come up, there have been like different again, inflection points. I'd say like drafting the three to see was a big moment, right and drafting Brittany and Phoenix is a good example of that what Caitlyn Clark did because so many eyeballs were on her. She is a huge multiplier effect of that because she has so many
fans and you saw it across arenas. I mean, people are moving games because so many people wanted to see her play. And I'll give you an example. This happened to me in Dallas last year. I'm sitting in my seats. It's Dallas versus Indiana, and I've got some sponsor seats next to me, and this gentleman, his wife and I think it was his sister, come and sit there from Dallas. Never been to a game. He's like, somebody gave me, you know, these seats and it's a part of this
partnership package. It's Caitlin Clark. I'm gonna come out. I thought I wanted to see. In the third quarter, this gentleman leaned over to me and he said, where has this been all my life? And proceeded to then go up and try to buy season tickets for the Dallas Wings. He became immediately a fan of the Dallas Wings. So that to me, I mean, that's what we've been doing for years. By the tens, by the twenties, Caitlin made that by the thousands, and look like, I don't take
anything away from other players that brought more eyeballs. Angel Cameron right, like the identity and how much brand recognition these players now have in college absolutely helped the WNBA. But we've never seen anything like Kayln Clark. We've never seen anything like that, and it's truly been transcendent for our league. And for that reason, I believe she deserved
the award one hundred percent. Not to mention Rookie of the Year record breaking, you know, all the things she did on the court, but this, this award was truly about the difference and the impact she had on women's basketball, the WNBA, and women's sport.
From the chief operating officer perspective, how do you leverage Cleitlan Clark's platform and popularity to continue to grow the interest not only of you know, the community in Indiana, but also the league.
That's a great question, you know, I think when you think about you know, arenas being sold out, you know, we need to continue being really creative about providing access. So whether that's through content, whether that's through merchandise, whether that's through you know, more access through broadcast ancillary programming. I mean, we're starting to see that, right not only the broad the game is being broadcast, We've got a pregame show, We've got a postgame show, like finally. We
know we've deserved that for years. But you know, as now the ratings continue to grow and consistently across all of our various platforms, We're going to continue to see more of that, and people are so hungry for it, right, So it's just continuing. And you mentioned the workout clip that we had of of Caitlyn and Staph Like small things like that. People just want to peek behind the curtains.
So continuing to provide opportunities in the off season. I think it's great that we've got you know, more players here doing things in the community, playing in some of these other domestic leagues, and you know, I think just continuing to storytell. One of the things I've always said is one through twelve every player has a unique, wonderful story to tell that will connect with somebody that's never
been connected with in the WNBA. So this platform that we now have allows us to expand what we're doing to not only focus on top three four players, right, it is about one through twelve figuring out, you know, talking to them about what's important to them in the community,
what they want their brand to be. I mean, that's why I love this role so much because because it allows me to marry you know, the business and the basketball and think about our players from a really holistic point of view and make sure when they come to Indiana we're talking about all those things. Because that's really at the heart of why I love this league. Why I keep coming back, I tried to leave, I keep coming back, is giving these women a platform, a platform
to talk about what they care about. Because you know, if we do that, I think the world's going to be a better place.
Yeah, in twenty twenty five, I think everyone is super excited about Indiana hosting the w NBA All Star Game. What opportunities do you see presenting itself for the All Star Game to continue to keep the community engaged and just further that outreach.
Well, you know, the NBA All Star Game was just here, so we've got this incredible community support, We've got amazing people working in the front office. So it was, you know, great to see coming off of NBA All Starlight. Let's just do it again in a few months, right, and do it at that level. And I think when you think about indian Napolis and one of the things I've really been impressed with is just how every community leader is ready to raise their hand to make it a
wonderful experience. I have very quickly fallen in love with Indy. There's so much to offer, you know, in and around downtown.
So I'm excited for fans who haven't been here to come in and really get to experience the community, see all that Indy has to offer, and then you know, continue to build on what All Star just you know, every year it's bigger and better, right, And that's what we want to see is more opportunities, more showcase things to be able to you know, for players, whether they're in the game or not, other media platforms to be
a part of it. So I think as we put it together, you're going to see an All Star weekend like you've never seen before in Indie.
The w NBA has built a reputation on delivering high energy entertainment during the All Star Weekend, especially the halftime performance. Season it was in Phoenix, they had Pitbull and all the lights and stuff. If you could choose any performer for the twenty twenty five WNBA All Star Game, who would you like to see on that big stage?
Now, Christina, the problem is, I'm I've been around, right, so I'm like nineties hip hop era, So I'm gonna for you know, like I'm a I'm like, give me some TLC and some Nelly, And that's probably the direction I'm going with it. I think we'll, you know, obviously, do a wide suite to really think about, you know, what our fans, what the players would love to see.
But we've got some incredible people working on that, and I know when that announcement does come out, people are gonna be excited about it.
So I'm super excited to hear Who's boring at the twenty twenty five WNBA All Star because I feel like every year it's just getting better and better and better with the performance performances at All Star. All Right, So, in your dual role as a chief operating officer and general manager, how do you find balance with those two different roles because we've seen over the years that a lot of organizations have kind of went the opposite direction of having one person do two things. So how are
you finding balance between the two end? How is being in those two roles helping you, I guess, to get things done?
Yeah, I mean it's very similar to how I finish my time in Phoenix, you know, in terms of working on both sides of the business. And then in Connecticut, Kurt Miller was the head coach in GM, but I was, you know, working a lot on the basketball side as well, so similar in that regard. But it's a great question. I think having Kelly in the president's role, you know, we both have the basketball and the business background, so that really lends itself to us being able to tag
seam on various projects depending on what they are. It's a collaborative effort on the basketball side when you talk about the incredible coach staff that we have, when you have Kelly, We've still got Lyn Dunn as a senior advisor, so it really is just carving out the time with that group to make sure we're all aligned and on the same page. And then on the business side, I mean, again, I've just been blown away by the staff here in Indianapolis on in every vertical of the business, from our
digital marketing team to our ticket sales team. I mean, the resources that are dedicated to the Fever and how many people are working across both properties at the same time and really giving it incredible attention and focus. Is like nothing I've ever seen. So it really allows me to be strategic on that side and not get into the weeds too much because those folks know what they're doing and I'm not going to get in their way. They're doing a fantastic job for us. So it is
really a balance. But I think again my experience through the years, I've learned how to really balance both and be able to do both effectively.
So I'm thinking about, like how like the game day value in each organization's like when I go to different arenas and just experience the game day presence. I think about Ellie in New York, Ellie the Elephant and the mascot, just all the different dance teams and things like that.
Why should fans be excited outside of Kitlyn Clark and everything that she brings in the star Power be excited to attend Fever games in twenty twenty five, Like, what do you guys have in your bag that fans should get ready for?
I mean Freddie Fever. Freddie Fever became an icon during the last season, like he's an original, an original with the Fever, And I think at one point Caitlin voiced her love for Little Freddie. So we've got Little Freddie and Big Freddie. You know, I can see them being
incorporated more into the show. We've got incredible dance team, The Inferno, And again I just I actually had last week a fantastic meeting with our entire game presentation team and it's just blown away at what they were already thinking about headed into the Fever season. But it's such an incredible building too. You know that plaza area, there's so much opportunity for programming there. Obviously Indianapolis it's hot, but it's not too hot, so you can do a
lot outside. We've got a great basketball court that I've heard is, you know, activated almost every game, and kids are out playing, so there's a lot when you think about coming down for the game and coming early. The retail is a huge hit. Obviously, the lines are long, so we'll continue to look for opportunities to expand on
all of those. But I love that you asked that question because I think it's so much of what makes the w unique is that experience around the game itself and the energy that the fan brings and listen like,
I think that's key to that too. We've got an engaged excited fan base that from the from tip off, you know, is on their feet, they're cheering, and after you know, years of rebuilding, are so excited to be back to the glory years of you know, when Catch was here and they were winning championships and consistently going to the playoffs. So you always want it for the fans because those are the people that are showing up and have been showing up since day one.
One of the things that obviously we all notice is how the fever was intentional about putting women in these front office roles in the head coaching positions. Why should organizations continue to fill these rules with women and what advice do you have for people who may want to be in front offices or on the bench as a head coach in the future who may be listening to this podcast.
I think another thing you're seeing just because of our league, you know, again becoming more mature, is former players. You know, Steph is obviously an example of that. You know, you've got Becky and others around the league. So that's a great friend that we're seeing also. But you know, I think we've now got more opportunities with expansion, right to create pipeline. I think the trend I've really seen that excites me the most. When I started, people were getting
into the w as a stepping stone. So it's like, I want to be a ticket seller. I want to be on the community side so that I can move over to the NBA or I can go to the NFL. Now, to a person, almost everyone that reaches out to me says, I want a career in women's sports. I want a career in the WNBA. I want to be a part of it. So I think just being really intentional about that, and nothing has changed, Christy, and I mean, it is
about networking. It's about you know. I try to answer almost every LinkedIn request and take as many of those phone calls because you know, somebody gave me an opportunity. J Perry gave me an opportunity in Phoenix when I didn't know much about anything and taught me and brought me up through the ranks. So I think we all have to have those people behind us, and I try to be that and pay it forward as much as possible.
So I think that's really it. It's just being intentional, being intentional about having those conversations, whether it's on the business side, the basketball side, creating those opportunities. As our staffs continue to grow, that creates more opportunities too, whether that's on the basketball or business side, and that's from
intern all the way up to senior executive position. So I think you'll continue to see, you know, again, more women stepping into these roles and hopefully staying in it for the entirety of their career.
We're certainly looking forward to all the Fever has to offer in twenty twenty five WNBA season and especially w and be All Star. Super excited about getting out there for that. Amber, thank you so much for joining us this week on the show.
So great to be here again. Continued success. Such a fan of everything that you do, so I just appreciate you having having me on today.
Thank you and best of luck.
Thank you.
Okay, we're going to take another quick break and when we get back, we're going to do the things that I love this week more from In Case you missed It with Christina Williams when we get back, welcome back to In Case you missed It with Christina Williams. I just want to thank Ambercox again for coming through to the show this week. Had so much fun chatting with her, and now it's time for my favorite segment, the Things
that I Love this Week. Honestly, this week has been a little kookie, but I guess I'll say this one of my favorite things that happened this week is that my nephew, he had like a homecoming game yesterday. He plays basketball, but it was just a surreal moment as an auntie I guess to go and see him play one of his senior games because I remember when he was born and was kind of still in high school, so it's just so crazy. So witness that his team
won by like thirty points. But we had an auntie nephew kind of day, took him out to dinner, and it was just great to just see him fall in love with the game of basketball because basketball has done so much for me in my life, and obviously I work in the sports media space, but to chill with my nephew, Jalen, it was such a blast to be able to do that shout out to Jay and shout
out to his team, his high school team. They won by thirty points, so it was such a blast to be able to do that, And that was the thing that I loved this week, and that's going to do it For this week's show, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast. And on next week's show, we're counting down the top fifteen moments of twenty twenty four in women's basketball and I have a special crew joining me, so you're not gonna want.
To miss it, PA.
In case you missed it, with Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.