The Indiana Fever’s Huge Three is unbroken. Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell will run it again collectively in 2026, the results of a record-breaking offseason wherein the franchise spent what it took to ensure of it. The one goal left is the crew’s first WNBA championship in 14 years.
Indiana sits third in FanDuel’s WNBA championship winner market at +470, behind New York at +220 and defending champ Las Vegas at +470. The Fever went 24-20 a yr in the past and completed third within the East. They misplaced six gamers to season-ending accidents, Clark amongst them, and nonetheless pushed the Aces to a decisive Recreation 5 within the semifinals.
Basic supervisor Amber Cox and head coach Stephanie White spent the remainder of the offseason working on the margins to fine-tune the supporting forged round them.
A Report-Breaking Spring
Two of the Fever’s spring strikes rewrote WNBA contract information by rewarding franchise pillars. Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, took Indiana’s Core qualifying supply and signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax on April 17. The 30-year-old put up 20.2 factors, 3.4 rebounds, and three.4 assists in 31.4 minutes per sport in 2025.
She made the All-WNBA First Group and was an MVP finalist. Indiana drafted Mitchell second total in 2018, and she or he’s by no means performed wherever else. Her loyalty by way of the ups and downs has been drastically appreciated by the Fever group.
Boston adopted 5 days later with a four-year extension value an estimated $6.3 million, together with a $1 million 2026 wage. It is the biggest contract in WNBA historical past.
3x-WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston is signing a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever, giving her the richest whole wage in league historical past up to now, Zack Miller of WME Basketball tells me, @ShamsCharania and @kendra__andrews.
She’s going to make $1M within the… pic.twitter.com/UnwiDjouyz
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 17, 2026
The deal was structured below the Distinctive Efficiency on Preliminary Contract provision, a brand new CBA rule that gives an accelerated pathway to most contracts for gamers named All-WNBA First or Second Group, or league MVP, inside their first three seasons.
The 2023 No. 1 total choose and three-time All-Star middle put up 15.0 factors, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals over 44 video games final yr. She made about $83,000 in 2025 on her rookie deal.
Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham re-signed to spherical out the returning core, the identical group the locker room known as „Tres Leches“ alongside Clark a season in the past.
Bench Constructing
Indiana saved depth as a precedence because the entrance workplace signed ahead Monique Billings from the Golden State Valkyries to switch Natasha Howard, who departed in free company. Billings presents an intriguing possibility at energy ahead subsequent to Boston, offering dimension, rim ending, screen-setting, and multi-positional protection.
The Fever additionally added veteran ahead Myisha Hines-Allen, a bodily put up presence with playoff expertise, and guard Tyasha Harris, a secondary ball-handler anticipated to scale back Clark’s on-ball burden.
Kelsey Mitchell on how she pitched Indiana/the Fever to free brokers.
“Indianapolis is a city-city, like a sports activities metropolis.” pic.twitter.com/rxdE4nFqsl
— hank 🇰🇷 (@Brian_Haenchen) April 22, 2026
The 29-year-old Billings already had built-in chemistry with two of Indiana’s three All-Stars earlier than signing.
„The imaginative and prescient, the tradition, the match. These have been my priorities going into free company,“ Billings stated. „Having performed with Caitlin Clark at USA, and Kelsey Mitchell in Unequalled, constructing off that synergy, I am hype.“
White, chatting with reporters at coaching camp on April 22, stated the match has translated shortly.
„[Billings] is an elite communicator on the defensive finish of the ground,“ White stated. „There should not be errors in coverages as a result of she’s speaking about it. She’s a tough rim runner. She’s a tough curler out of ball screens. She’s a terrific rebounder.“
Fever Load Up in Free Company with Billings, Harris, Hines-Allen
Hines-Allen, 30, is coming into her ninth WNBA season and gained a championship with the 2019 Washington Mystics. She averaged 7.6 factors, 6.0 rebounds, and a pair of.9 assists throughout 40 video games for the Dallas Wings throughout the 2025 marketing campaign. Hines-Allen instructed reporters at media day on April 22 that the selection got here right down to Clark.
„Having the ability to play with Caitlin Clark, I believe that was an enormous eye-opener,“ Hines-Allen stated. „I’ve the chance to play with one of many biggest gamers that is ever gonna play the sport of basketball. So, for me, as soon as I additionally heard that she actually needs me right here, too, I used to be like, ‚Oh, nicely, let’s get it finished then. There is no questions on it.“
Hines-Allen additionally pointed to Boston as a draw.
„You bought Aliyah Boston, who’s superb,“ Hines-Allen stated. „Final yr, I used to be so impressed with the best way she performed. Simply to have the ability to play off of her, to assist her and the crew to develop, it was undoubtedly like, I have to be right here, I would like to do that.“
Harris, 27, is an Indianapolis-area native and Heritage Christian alum who spent two seasons taking part in below White with the Connecticut Solar. She is getting back from a left knee damage that restricted her to 5 video games with the Dallas Wings in 2025. Harris instructed reporters at media day the supply was surprising.
„Indiana got here out of nowhere, actually,“ Harris stated. „Amber contacted my agent, and actually the subsequent morning, she got here to my exercise. She preferred what she noticed, and she or he was like, ‚let’s get this occurring.'“
Raven Johnson’s One Aim in Indy
On the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Fever used the No. 10 total choose on South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, a two-time nationwide champion and the reigning SEC Defensive Participant of the 12 months. The choose addressed a selected want. Clark completed third within the league in utilization price final season at 31.5%, and ninth as a rookie at 27.7%.
Johnson, who famously was waved off by Clark on the 3-point line throughout the 2023 Ultimate 4 whereas taking part in for South Carolina in opposition to Iowa, stated final week that the historical past between them is not an element.
New threads, new quantity 🔥
No. 10 total choose Raven Johnson now in No. 3 for the @IndianaFever! pic.twitter.com/9cr4kK8pbP
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 22, 2026
„I believe that is previously, actually,“ Johnson stated. „We’re teammates now, and we have now one objective. That is to win a championship.“
Johnson stated the Fever’s tradition was a main think about her enthusiasm about being drafted by Indiana.
„You are speaking a few crew that might probably win the championship,“ Johnson stated. „I believe it is loopy. They’ve lots of vets I might study from, and so they’re winners. Everyone on that crew likes to win. I believe that is what makes that crew particular. So to go to a program like that, that has the identical mentality as me of profitable, is phenomenal.“
Coaching camp opened April 19 with 16 gamers competing for 12 lively roster spots and two developmental spots. Ahead Damiris Dantas was the lone absence from early camp classes, unable to report as a result of work visa points.
Caitlin Clark’s Influence and Well being
Clark, 24, enters her third WNBA season after showing in simply 13 video games final yr as a result of a mix of lower-body accidents, together with a proper groin pressure and a bone bruise. She averaged 16.5 factors, 5.0 rebounds, and eight.8 assists on 36.7% taking pictures from the ground and 27.9% from 3-point vary when out there.
Caitlin Clark 🗣️ “I believe I’m the perfect transition participant within the league”
That’s my goat! pic.twitter.com/1ATD87L2hV
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) April 22, 2026
Indiana will certainly need her to make the most of her well being to construct on the numbers she posted as a rookie, averaging 19.2 factors, 5.7 rebounds, and eight.4 assists, taking pictures 41.7% total, 34.4% from deep, and 90.6% from the free-throw line in 40 video games.
The Fever are making structural changes to guard Clark’s well being and cut back the bodily toll of her possession-heavy function. Talking at media day on April 22, Clark stated the teaching workers is working to provide her extra off-ball reps.
„It’s exhausting, bringing the ball up 94 toes versus strain each single time,“ Clark stated. „So, we definitely want to seek out any person that may deal with the ball somewhat bit and provides me somewhat little bit of a break.“
Clark Calls Herself The WNBA’s Finest Transition Participant
White has beforehand cited the physicality Clark absorbs as a think about her 2025 well being points. Clark was fouled 175 occasions as a rookie, fifth within the league. The addition of Harris and the drafting of Johnson are each per a plan to shift extra main ball-handling duties off Clark’s plate with a purpose to protect her legs over a 44-game common season.
White, talking at media day on April 22, emphasised that her expectations for Clark this season are extra about mindset than manufacturing.
„I simply need to see her play with pleasure,“ White stated. „It was such a tough yr a yr in the past. Whenever you’re going by way of damage, it is powerful. I need to see her benefit from the alternative that we have now and this crew that we have now.“
White added that the plan is to handle Clark’s workload all through coaching camp and the preseason.
„She does not must be on the market each rep, simply being aware,“ White stated. „Yearly that she will get older, she understands the cadence is somewhat bit totally different.“
Clark spent the offseason away from aggressive play, other than an look within the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew in Puerto Rico, the place she was named MVP. She has publicly said that she selected to not play within the offseason Unequalled league to focus on a full 2026 WNBA season.
Whereas there was loads of give attention to Clark spending extra time off-ball within the half-court, she emphasised the necessity to push the ball in transition. Moreover, she declared herself because the „finest transition participant within the league,“ which she definitely is within the dialog, on the very least. Getting her again wholesome and taking part in at that degree will do wonders for Indiana.
The Voice of the Locker Room
Mitchell’s return set the tone for the crew’s championship framing. She has stated publicly that the choice to re-sign was formed much less by contract mechanics than by group conversations held throughout the offseason, together with whereas taking part in within the Unequalled league.
„Me and CC talked quite a bit, me and AB talked quite a bit in Unequalled, even Lexie,“ Mitchell stated. „We knew we needed to make it make sense, we knew we wished to be collectively. That was the simple half. We talked about making sacrifices for one another, talked about being what we wanted to be for one another.“
Mitchell instructed reporters at coaching camp that there is no model of that Recreation 5 loss to Las Vegas she would do in another way. She got here off the ground halfway by way of the third quarter with what she described as a „numbness/paralyzing feeling“ in her legs. The trigger was later attributed to rhabdomyolysis.
„Hell naw,“ Mitchell stated. „If I’ve obtained to do it another time and let my physique fall out the best way it did, I will do it. I like the sport that a lot. I like competing that a lot. Lord prepared, it does not occur once more like that. Hopefully, it was a once-in-a-lifetime factor. However I will die on my sword each sport, each time.“
Teammates Reward Mitchell
Clark, talking at coaching camp, stated Mitchell’s return was crucial on-court improvement of her offseason.
„Simply actually lucky that she’s again right here,“ Clark stated. „She makes my job quite a bit simpler when you may have any person within the again courtroom like that. There’s no person higher within the league for me to play with, so simply actually lucky and fortunate.“
Boston, requested about her well being at coaching camp after her Unequalled season ended early as a result of a proper decrease leg damage, stated she is able to go. Nonetheless, she has been dominated out for Saturday’s preseason opener in opposition to New York.
„Proper now I am feeling good to go, able to work,“ Boston stated.
Of her file contract, Boston stated, „I am tremendous blessed. God is nice, man.“
Boston, who was named Defensive Participant of the 12 months of the offseason Unequalled league with Phantom BC, stated the popularity has fueled her motivation coming into 2026.
„It was tremendous enjoyable for me. Profitable DPOY was fairly good, too,“ Boston stated. „I believe it is gonna assist inspire me this yr to proceed to be that defensive presence, on the rim, on the perimeter, wherever the crew wants.“
Clark, requested at media day how she views the crew this yr, was complimentary of the entrance workplace’s work and stated she believes the group has one other deep postseason run in it.
„I really feel like our roster development is nice,“ Clark stated.
Groups That Current the Greatest Problem
The Fever’s path to the franchise’s second championship, and first since 2012, when Tamika Catchings led the crew previous the Minnesota Lynx, runs by way of a top-of-the-league that principally stayed put.
Las Vegas, the crew that beat Indiana in 5 video games within the 2025 semifinals, introduced again almost each significant piece of its third title run in 4 years. The Aces re-signed All-Star guards Jackie Younger, Chelsea Grey, and Jewell Loyd, and maintained depth by getting offers finished with Dana Evans, NaLyssa Smith, Brianna Turner, Stephanie Talbot, and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. Proper now, they’re a premier contender, with Wilson in a chief place to compete for a historic fifth Most Worthwhile Participant award.
The NY Liberty’s Huge 3 are formally BACK. 🙌
Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, & Breanna Stewart have re-signed with the Liberty and can return to Brooklyn for the 2026 WNBA season!🗽 pic.twitter.com/jE7sHgpQaY
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) April 17, 2026
New York went additional. The Liberty re-signed their core trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and 2021 MVP middle Jonquel Jones, and landed three-time All-Star ahead Satou Sabally in free company from Phoenix. Sabally averaged 16.3 factors and 5.9 rebounds throughout a career-high 39 begins final season for the Mercury and 19.0 factors per sport throughout 10 playoff video games.
A New Period Below Olivia Miles in Minnesota
Minnesota’s path is extra sophisticated than in recent times, which is why they’re at simply +800 and rank sixth, however they shouldn’t be missed when Collier will get wholesome. The Lynx completed a league-best 34-10 final season however misplaced ahead Bridget Carleton within the enlargement draft and watched Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, and reigning co-Defensive Participant of the 12 months Alanna Smith depart in free company. Whereas these losses will harm, there may be nonetheless lots of expertise on this crew.
Minnesota cored 2025 MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, re-signed All-Stars Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, introduced again former Lynx ahead Natasha Howard, and used the No. 2 total choose on Olivia Miles. How shortly Miles is able to contribute, and whether or not the additions truly substitute what walked out the door, will decide the Lynx’s ceiling when the playoffs arrive. Regardless, starting the season with Collier sidelined is not going to assist. It will require a powerful begin to keep away from digging a gap that’ll be laborious to climb out of.
Dream Acquires Reese, Mercury Re-Indicators Thomas, Copper
The Atlanta Dream made one of many greatest strikes of any crew within the WNBA, buying two-time All-Star ahead Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in change for 2 future first-round draft picks. Atlanta then re-signed All-Stars Allisha Grey, Rhyne Howard, and Brionna Jones, and added two-time WNBA champion guard Jordin Canada. Reese joins a roster that already has 4 2025 All-Stars on it. The Dream additionally drafted 6-foot-6 Kenyan middle Madina Okot at No. 13 total to assist substitute the departing Brittney Griner. Jones is sidelined indefinitely after present process knee surgical procedure, however Atlanta is correct behind Indiana at +600 within the odds.
ATL Barbie is headed to Atlanta! ✈️
The WNBA world was shocked when Angel Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream.
Ballislife’s @GrantAfseth breaks down what it means and grades the deal for each side.
🔗https://t.co/9QJskvrLJ3 pic.twitter.com/9vyZGcGbLe
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 7, 2026
Atlanta improved by 15 wins final season. Indiana eradicated the Dream within the first spherical of the 2025 playoffs. The model of that crew Indiana will run into subsequent yr, whether or not in April or within the postseason, appears nothing just like the one the Fever swept apart final fall.
Phoenix is a risk within the Western Convention that should not be missed. The Mercury misplaced Sabally in free company however re-signed perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas, introduced again guard Kahleah Copper after her injury-shortened 2025, and retained sharpshooter Sami Whitcomb and franchise legend DeWanna Bonner. Thomas completed with 11 triple-doubles final season and has been the engine of each postseason crew she has ever performed for. Phoenix is probably not within the title-favorite tier, however in a one-and-done first spherical, no crew within the subject needs the Mercury early.
Indiana’s Path to the WNBA Finals
It doesn’t matter what, it comes right down to Clark’s well being for the Fever to have an opportunity of undertaking a championship run. In her WNBA profession to date, Clark has not performed a full 44-game schedule, and the Fever’s ceiling relies on whether or not she is on the ground. The Harris signing and the Johnson choose have been each about taking ball-handling reps off her, so she’s not the one getting pressured 94 toes each time down the courtroom.
The opposite focus is protection. Billings, Hines-Allen, and Johnson have been all introduced in for what they do on that finish. Indiana’s frontline has to have the ability to change onto Wilson, maintain up in opposition to Stewart within the put up, and survive a four-All-Star Atlanta lineup that now includes Reese.
The query that ended final yr’s run in 5 video games in opposition to Las Vegas is identical query the Fever face in a deeper Jap Convention this fall.
Essentially the most fascinating half is that, whereas Indiana operated nicely on the margins, the highest contenders below the brand new CBA nonetheless managed to retain expertise and add a considerable piece.
Indiana’s entrance workplace as an alternative saved the core collectively, paid Boston and Mitchell file cash to ensure of it, and is betting that a longtime high with sharper margins beats no matter the remainder of the league continues to be attempting to determine.
For now, Indiana is within the combine however not fairly a favourite.
