Caitlin Clark's Agency Involvement in Fever GM Search Speaks Volumes
During her end-of-season exit interview earlier this month, Caitlin Clark was clear about her interest in helping the Indiana Fever recruit top free agents.
She even went so far as to say she would host recruits in Indianapolis if that would help the Fever bring more talent to the team.
Even if Clark wasn't taking such a forward-facing role in restructuring Indiana's roster, the franchise is expected to include her in personnel decisions because of how critical she is to the team's success, both on the court and economically.
This has been proven true when it comes to Indiana's search for its next General Manager after firing Amber Cox last week.
On Wednesday, Rachel Axon of Sports Business Journal reported that Excel Search & Advisory will be leading the search for the Fever's next GM.
This is significant because Excel Search & Advisory is owned by Excel Sports Management — which is the agency that represents Caitlin Clark.
Axon also noted that Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) will consider input from key players when deciding on their next GM hire, which serves as further proof that Clark will be actively involved in finalizing what the Fever's front office looks like.
Caitlin Clark's Agency Searching for the Fever's Next GM Isn't as Strange as it Seems
On the surface, Clark's agency leading the search for the Fever's next GM might seem like a conflict of interest or just strange. But the facts behind this aren't actually that unique.
Excel Search & Advisory has become one of the most common and effective groups when trying to find front office and other executive-level hires in women's sports. They did so for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the Portland Thorns NWSL team, and two WNBA franchises: the Atlanta Dream and the Toronto Tempo.
Given that the Dream are currently in the WNBA Finals and have made several fantastic personnel decisions this year that got them to this place (including trading for Angel Reese and signing DeWanna Bonner as a free agent), the decisions that Excel S&E has influenced with the Dream's executive level have clearly worked out.
Ultimately, Clark was always going to have a role in finding the Fever's next GM. This announcement just shows that her involvement will be more formal and professional than it might have been otherwise.
Fever fans can rest assured that Clark will have approved of who Indiana hires as their next GM.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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