News Release | February 24, 2006

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INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf has announced a sign-and-trade deal with the New York Liberty that sends veteran center Kelly Schumacher to N.Y., and allows Indiana to move up three spots in the upcoming WNBA Draft (April 5). Packaged with the deal was Indiana’s first-round draft pick (#12) in exchange for the Liberty’s first-round pick (#9).

The sign-and-trade allowed Indiana to sign Schumacher, a restricted free agent, and get value in return for her departure. Krauskopf also announced the free agent signing of point guard K.B. Sharp, a native of nearby Columbus, Ohio, and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. The Schumacher trade is the Fever’s second trade in a month, and Sharp becomes the club’s fourth free agent signing since the WNBA’s free agency period began February 1. Per club policy, contract terms were not disclosed.

“Kelly has grown up in the WNBA with our team,” said Krauskopf of Schumacher, who played more games (159) in a Fever uniform than any player in franchise history. “We will miss her here in Indiana. She wanted a new start and a new opportunity with another team, so we agreed to do a sign-and-trade for her. I appreciate everything she has done for our franchise, and I wish her the best.”

Regarding Sharp, Krauskopf continued, “We are very excited about K.B. She fills a need in our point guard rotation. She has some experience in the WNBA and professionally overseas, and I believe she has continued to improve her overall game. Her athleticism, size and speed will help us tremendously. She is young and has a lot of years ahead of her.”

Since being drafted by Indiana in the first round of the 2001 WNBA Draft, Schumacher has been a staple in the Fever lineup. She started 28 games through five seasons, and leaves Indiana ranked fourth in franchise history in points, third in rebounds and second in blocked shots. She averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game during her Fever career.

Sharp was a second-round draft pick of the Liberty in 2003, appearing in 30 games in each of her two seasons with New York. She averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 assists in those two seasons, though in what was just the fourth game of her WNBA career, she scored a career-high 14 points at Conseco Fieldhouse against the Fever (6/7/03). She has played the past two seasons in Israel, where she currently leads her team (Raanana Herzeliya) in assists with an average of 5.6 per game. She also is the team's top shooter, shooting 55.3 percent from the floor while averaging 11.0 points and 3.0 rebounds.

The Fever opens training camp on Sunday, April 23, and begins the 2006 schedule when it hosts the Detroit Shock on Saturday, May 20 (7:00 p.m.). For season ticket information, call (317) 917-2500.