Pokey Chatman has seen how good the Indiana Fever can be from the opposing sideline. Now she’ll get a chance to lead them.
The Fever hired Chatman as their new coach Friday, bringing in a WNBA veteran in hopes of continuing their annual visits to the postseason.
“I can remember when I first went to Chicago, quite frankly, I was trying to build a team to beat Indiana. What they had built was incredible and to see it from the inside out now is great,” Chatman said. “They have people who have been here for 14 years in this organization. It speaks volumes to what’s going on here.”
Chatman will take over a team that has a rich history in the WNBA, winning a title in 2012 and reaching the playoffs for the past 12 years. Indiana was 17-17 this past year, losing in the first round. Coach Stephanie White left the Fever after the season to take over at Vanderbilt.
“My goal was to identify and hire someone who has extensive head coaching experience in the pro women’s game and we are fortunate to bring Pokey to Indiana,” said Kelly Krauskopf, the team’s president and general manager. “Her years of coaching elite level players, both in the WNBA and in Europe, bring us great experience and leadership. Her up-tempo philosophy on offense combined with her affinity for toughness on the defensive end fits our organization. I have watched her teams and admired how her players continuously improve from year to year.”