TheIndiana Fevermay soon become victims of their own success as a revolutionary WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) proposal threatens to upend their roster construction.
The league and the players’ union are locked in high-stakes negotiations over a deal that would skyrocket the team salary cap from $1.5 million to $5.75 million in its first year.
While the 280 percent increase is designed to reflect the league’s booming revenue, a new “Caitlin Clark Rule” could force the Fever to choose which of their three All-WNBA stars will headline their financial future.
Under the league’s latest proposal, players on rookie contracts who earn First or Second Team All-WNBA honors would become eligible for a maximum contract in their fourth season. For the Indiana Fever, this triggers an immediate dilemma.
Aliyah Boston, the 2023 top pick, would become max-eligible in 2026, while Caitlin Clark would hit that threshold in 2027. With maximum salaries projected to jump from $249,000 to $1.3 million, the Fever could find themselves attempting to fit three massive contracts under one cap as veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell also seeks a “supermax” extension.
The “impossible choice” between established stars and the face of the league
Basketball insider Rachel DeMita recently highlighted the precarious position this creates for Fever management. Because a single $1.3 million max contract would consume nearly 23 percent of the proposed $5.75 million cap, carrying three such players would account for roughly 65-70 percent of the team’s total payroll.
This would leave Indiana with less than $2 million to fill the remaining nine roster spots, likely forcing a “stars and scrubs” approach that could jeopardize the team’s depth and title aspirations.
“Caitlin Clark is eligible to be that max contract player because of this new rule in 2027,” DeMita noted. “She is already the face of the league… but Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston could become max contract salary players in 2026. This is where it starts getting tricky.”
The timeline is particularly urgent due to a March 10 “do-or-die” deadline set by the league to ratify the CBA and avoid a delay to the May 8 season opener.
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