Meet Indiana Fever’s Owner Herb Simon- $4.5 Billion Rich Entrepreneur Who Put His Heart and Soul Into NBA and WNBA Teams

The Indiana Fever is soon to begin its new era in the hands of Caitlin Clark. However, there is a rich history behind the team. While today, only Herb Simon stands as the sole owner of the franchise, which also adds the Pacers under its umbrella, it was not always the case. Through many struggles of the team and changes in the ownership, the Fever will now try to grab another WNBA trophy. Hence, with all the spotlight now on this team, fans want to know about the backbone of the franchise.

Caitlin Clark along with Aliyah Boston is all set to wreak havoc on their opponents and establish the team’s name back on the high pedestal. But the journey till today which has seen many players come and go, has always had one driver running the show since its inception.

Meet the sole driver for Indiana- Herb Simon

Herb Simon was born on October 23, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. He, along with his late brother Mel Simon, both sowed the seeds of a real estate investment company in 1959. Melvin Simon & Associates slowly and steadily increased their domination in the real estate market, grabbing a hold of over 3 million square feet of retail property in just eight years. By the year 1980, the company was opening at least 3 enclosed malls every year.

Due to their vast expansion and connections, they were close to Bill Hudnut, the then-mayor. While the Pacers were not performing well, Indiana’s population wanted to keep the team. Hence, Hudnut urged the Simon brothers to buy the team. Consequently, the outside interest turned out to be a great decision by the two brothers. The NBA today is one of the most-watched leagues in the US. Although the team has not been able to capture any trophy yet, they did win a conference title in 2000.

Fast forward to the creation of the WNBA, the Fever became an expansion team in the league in 2000. The Simon brothers, knowing the benefits of investing in a basketball team, showed their interest in the growth of the league and bought the rights. However, just 9 years later, the oldest Simon, Mel, passed away at the age of 82.

Herb Simon, the real estate developer from Indianapolis, made a crucial decision 24 years back. The investment that he put forward along with his brother is today coming to fruition. But what has the journey been like?

Indiana Fever under the Simon Property Group

The WNBA was still only blossoming and hence, the first season of the Fever did not go as well as thought. In fact, they ended amongst the worst teams with a win-loss record of 9-23 in the 2000 season. However, things turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Indiana drafted small forward Tamika Catchings, a third overall pick, who was expected to turn the tables in favor of the team. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL in her final college games as a Lady Vol. Hence, she never got a chance to play for the team that year.

The next year, the star recruit not only made a debut in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse but also cemented her name as one of the best players in the WNBA. For her immaculate display of skills, she was honored as the Rookie of the Year in 2002. In the following years, she kept showing up with great records and brought the team to its first-ever playoffs. But the cards only played right after 2005 with multiple shifts and trades. In 2006, the team was leading the league in steals with Tamika Catchings leading and Tully Bevilaqua, an Australian pick, in the second position. After several years of showing up in the playoffs and reaching the finals, the Fever finally held its first championship trophy in 2012. This was under the head coach Lin Dunn.

Consequently, Dunn became the interim and then the permanent General Manager for the Fever from the year 2022. Next year, Indy got the lottery pick and has tried to change its fate ever since.

Now is the beginning of Indiana’s new era

In the 2023 WNBA draft, Fever won the first pick. Hence, they welcomed Dawn Staley’s prodigy and the 2022 NCAA Champion Aliyah Boston to their locker room. Nevertheless, the team could not perform as well as they had hoped for. Gaining another first lottery pick for the 2024 WNBA draft, the Fever have quite literally written a new future for themselves. They got Caitlin Clark, one of the most transformative and generational talents that the sporting world has ever seen.

Not only did the 3x Nancy Liebermann Awardee bring many eyes and fans with her, but she is also expected to pair up with Boston and change the image of the team. Quite so, the famous “Caitlin Clark Effect” has already turned the tide for the team. For the first time in its history, almost 90% of the games will be broadcasted on TV, almost all the arenas where Indiana will play are sold out, and Clark has brought almost $6 million in profits for the Fever.

Undeniably, the trust and hard-earned money that Herb Simon has placed in this team is finally coming to fruition. And undoubtedly, he, along with the entire world cannot wait for Caitlin Clark and Co. to spread their magic in the WNBA.