The Indiana Fever are not where they are supposed to be. When a WNBA team gets back-to-back number-one picks, a trip to the finals or even a championship usually follows within the next three years.
That has not been the case for the Fever. Caitlin Clark missed most of last season, and several other players suffered season-ending injuries, too. It took a Herculean effort from Kelsey Mitchell and the other remaining players to get the team to Game 5 of the semifinals. This season, with Clark back on the court, was supposed to be the Fever’s year. Instead of competing for a title, they flamed out in the first round, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in three games.
Since then, Kelly Krauskopf has left the organization and Amber Cox has been fired, leaving the Fever with key front office positions to fill—and a ton of pressure. They cannot afford any mistakes with their next GM hire. They are running out of time to capitalize on their lottery luck.
With Mitchell entering unrestricted free agency, no GM, and questions about Stephanie White’s future in Indiana, there is a lot of uncertainty around the franchise. However, one thing is for certain: If the organization cannot build a championship contender around Clark and Aliyah Boston in the next two years, it will be a generational failure. Their GM choice will make the difference between success and failure.
Building a championship contender in Indiana is easier said than done
Mitchell could very well be on her way out of Indiana. If she is, replacing her scoring will be nearly impossible. If she isn’t, the Fever face a brutal financial reality. Mitchell and Boston make max money, while Clark is eligible for her own EPIC extension and Lexie Hull and Monque Billings make around $800,000 each next season—salaries they did not live up to this year.
That leaves little financial room for the Fever to make the roster improvements they need, and Hull’s and Billings’s trade values probably aren’t very high right now.
The Fever need better frontcourt depth next to and behind Boston. Makayla Timpson has improved a lot since her rookie season. However, she is not ready for a big starting role on a championship contender quite yet.
Moreover, the Fever need better wing defenders than Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham. If there’s anything this year’s finals have shown it is that the best way to truly maximize an All-Defensive-level big is to put great perimeter defenders next to them. When healthy, Boston can be an All-Defensive team-level big, but the Fever simply do not have the perimeter defense to help her out.
That’s a lot to fix with not much cap room. Moreover, the Fever’s reputation could further complicate things. Top free agents will probably prefer to play for a team that’s not followed by as much drama and attention.
Whoever takes on the GM position in Indiana faces a tall task with no room for error.
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