One of the Indiana Fever’s priorities this offseason has to be improving their wing rotation. They desperately need length, athleticism, and lockdown defense on the wing. Someone has to be able to defend the best guards and wings in the league on a nightly basis, and the duo of Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham is simply not enough.
A few free agents would have the talent to fill that hole. DiJonai Carrington, for example, is one of the best wing defenders in the W. So is Jackie Young. If DeWanna Bonner decides to play another season, she could offer length and versatility.
The Fever face one massive roadblock, though. None of the best wing defenders available in free agency are likely to sign with Indiana, as The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant outlined on No Offseason.
“I’m looking at the list of free agents, and it’s not exactly teeming with players who fit this build,” Merchant said. “Rebecca Allen theoretically, but she’s retiring. You’re not bringing DeWanna Bonner back to Indiana, even if she continues playing in the WNBA. DiJonai Carrington, she’s not playing in Indiana, let’s be clear. So, who is this player who can fit that wing combo-forward hole they have?”
That question doesn’t have a simple answer. The Fever might have to solve their wing issue with a trade or through the draft instead of relying on free agency.
Bonner, Carrington, and Young won’t be the answer to the Fever’s wing question
Bonner gave Indiana a try, and it didn’t work out. She signed with the Fever ahead of the 2025 season, but left the team after just a handful of games because the fit wasn’t right for her. If she plays another season, it certainly won’t be in Indiana.
Carrington would be exactly what the Fever need on the wing—a long, athletic defender who is used to taking on the toughest perimeter assignments on any given night. But due to Carrington’s recent history with the Fever and a certain part of their fan base, there’s no way she will ever play for the franchise.
Young is a long-shot target for the Fever either way because of how much money she makes. They could only afford her if Kelsey Mitchell leaves in free agency. And besides her speculated relationship with Carrington, it’s simply difficult to imagine that she would leave the team she has won three championships with for a franchise that hasn’t been able to build a contender around back-to-back top picks for the last three years.
That leaves the Fever with few options to shore up their perimeter defense. Maybe they can steal Rebekah Gardner away from the New York Liberty in restricted free agency to at least add some more defense to their bench.
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