The Indiana Fever’s breakout 2025 season landed them in the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2015, but the offseason could bring tough choices.
With two expansion teams joining the league in 2026, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, an expansion draft looms that might strip away one of their top contributors.
On top of that, stalled WNBA-CBA negotiations could reshape the salary cap, and the Fever face real pressure to protect their core while staying under financial limits.
Indiana Fever Might Lose Key Players Due To WNBA Expansion Draft
The expansion draft for Toronto and Portland, set for early 2026, will force each of the 14 existing teams to leave at least one player exposed.
Under the new rules being hashed out in CBA talks, teams might protect just five players instead of the six allowed last year, putting the Fever in a bind with their top six featuring Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and Natasha Howard.
The WNBA Draft Lottery 2026 is just two days away!
— WNBA (@WNBA) November 21, 2025
Tune in at 6:30pm/ET on ESPN to learn which team will get the 2026 No.1 overall pick! pic.twitter.com/hYpdeC9Jc4
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However, Howard, the veteran forward who averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds off the bench last year, stands out as the most likely to go unprotected.
Her experience helped stabilize an injury-hit roster, but with only five protection spots projected and free agency on the horizon for several key pieces, the Fever might have no choice but to let her walk or expose her in the draft.
Additionally, all the other names are critical to last season’s run to the playoffs. Clark and Boston are locks to stay safe as recent No. 1 picks, while Mitchell’s scoring punch and Hull’s defensive grit make them non-negotiable.
That leaves Cunningham’s sharpshooting and Howard’s veteran savvy as the tough cuts, but projections lean toward exposing Howard to keep the younger core intact.
Additionally, salary cap realities only make it worse. The current CBA expires November 30, and negotiations have hit snags over revenue sharing and cap structure, with the WNBA proposing a max salary over $1.1 million starting in 2026 but players pushing for NBA-style ties to business income.
Nearly half the league’s players, including Mitchell, Hull, and Cunningham, hit unrestricted free agency this winter, and without a deal, everything stalls into a status quo that could delay offers and force hard decisions.
Indiana Fever Projected To Pair Caitlin Clark With Madina Okot
As the Fever navigate these losses, mock drafts point to the 2026 WNBA Draft as a way to reload the frontcourt and keep Clark’s offense humming.
Madina Okot tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) November 20, 2025
• 23 points
• 11 rebounds
• 3 assists
• 3 blocks
• 10/12 FGpic.twitter.com/wL8gj8oRqI
ESPN’s latest first-round projection has Indiana grabbing South Carolina center Madina Okot at No. 10 overall, a 6-foot-6 Kenyan powerhouse who transferred from Mississippi State and has anchored the second-ranked Gamecocks this fall.
Okot, averaging 13.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks through five games, brings the rim protection and rebounding punch to complement Clark’s range and Boston’s post presence.