With the upcoming WNBA season set to tip off on May 8, 2026, and preseason action beginning this April, teams are already racing against the clock to reshape their rosters.
Free agency is expected to deliver significant returns for franchises, but organizations must also be strategic enough to retain their top-performing talent from the 2025 season, even if it comes at a considerable financial cost.
That is precisely the situation facing the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark’s team is already in full motion, not only to strengthen the roster but also to keep the key players who played a crucial role in the team’s return to the postseason.
The Indiana Fever has only three players under contract for 2026
Looking ahead to the 2026 campaign, the Fever currently have only three players secured. Among them, of course, is their franchise star and one of the league’s brightest figures, Caitlin Clark.
Joining Clark under contract are Aliyah Boston and Makaila Timpson. With the newly signed collective bargaining agreement, the league is now facing a market with more than 100 free agents.
Clark was asked during NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Basketball about what her team needs moving forward into next season. In response, she emphasized that the best path forward would be to re-sign a veteran guard with whom she has developed strong chemistry.
The top priority for the Fever, according to Caitlin Clark
One of the organization’s main priorities, now that negotiations have opened following the new collective bargaining agreement, should be veteran Kelsey Mitchell.
We weren’t trying to win it all last, that’s certainly what we’re trying to do this year.”…”It’s a very unique situation because there are over 100 free agents, so we only know about five or three people who will be on our team next year. I feel like we had a great core. Our first priority is to sign Kelsey Mitchell back.
Clark said, while also making it clear why she believes Mitchell should return.
She was First Team All-WNBA last year. Kind of my running mate in the backcourt. She makes it really easy for me.
It is worth recalling that when Clark was sidelined and able to play only thirteen games throughout the season, it was Kelsey who stepped up, becoming a cornerstone alongside her teammates and leading them into the postseason.
Unfortunately, their journey ended in the semifinals, where they fell after a hard-fought battle against the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Many had predicted a sweep, yet the Fever pushed the series to the limit.
For Kelsey, the season was truly outstanding. She finished fifth in MVP voting with the following numbers:
- 20.2 points
- 1.8 rebounds
- 3.4 assists
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