INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana fever are coming off a landmark season – one that could be the start of something special.
THE Fever went 20-20 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, grabbing the sixth seed. They bowed out of the playoffs to the more experienced Connecticut Sun in the first round, but there’s plenty of optimism surrounding the franchise with young stalwarts like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
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But to take the next step, Fever will have to take a few steps. Here are four things they could do to improve in 2025:
Indiana Fever must keep Kelsey Mitchell
This should be Fever’s #1 priority. Mitchell spent her seven WNBA seasons with the Fever, through many lows and now highs. She signed a three-year extension following her rookie contract, which expired after the 2024 season.
Mitchell was the Fever’s second leading scorer with two total points, averaging 19.2 points per game. She was the constant threat the Fever needed, as evidenced by her seven straight 20+ point games coming out of the Olympic break.
“She’s a fixture here, and we want her here,” said coach Christie Sides. “To me, she’s a Hall of Famer.”
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Technically, Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent and she has thus far remained tight-lipped about her plans for the future. But the two-time All-Star is still eligible to be drafted for two seasons, and that would be the best way for the Fever to ensure they keep her. A basic designation would give Fever exclusive trading rights in exchange for a supermax basic deal.
The Fever can afford the supermax (which comes to just under $250,000) for Mitchell, and they are the only team that can offer it to him. At most, Mitchell would probably take the one-year deal; The WNBA collective bargaining agreement ends after the 2025 season, and players expect big salary increases with the new CBA, so most are not signing after 2025.
But, at the very least, the Fever should be able to hold it for another season to pursue the backcourt duo of Mitchell and Cailin Clark.
Indiana Fever needs consistent power forward
Indiana has struggled to find consistency on both ends of the floor at the power forward position this season. NaLyssa Smith, who started most games, was not much of a defensive threat, and his minutes decreased as the season progressed.
Temi Fagbenle was a constant defensive threat and a good scorer, but suffered three injuries (shoulder, thumb, foot) that kept her sidelined for almost half the season. She ultimately only played in 22 of the Fever’s 40 regular season games, limiting her ability to impact the rotation.
When it comes to finding a consistent player at the 4, Fagbenle, a restricted free agent, could certainly be that person – if he decides to return to the Fever and can stay healthy.
There are also several free agents available who could fit that bill, including a former Fever player.
Natasha Howard was a Fever draft pick in 2014, playing two years in a reserve role before joining the Minnesota Lynx in a sign-and-trade. Since then, Howard has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the best power forwards in the WNBA, becoming the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year and winning three WNBA championships between her time with the Lynx and Seattle Storm.
Howard, who missed six weeks with injury in 2024, averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 27 games with the Dallas Wings. She has already completed the maximum number of seasons and announced her departure from the Wings, where she had been playing for two years, in a post on X shortly after the regular season. Entering unrestricted free agency, Howard, 33, could be a perfect fit for the Fever.
Other options could include Seattle Storm incumbent UFAs Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams. Ogwumike, the 2016 WNBA MVP, averaged 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Storm this season, but she also spent her entire career on the West Coast. Williams returned to the league after spending most of the WNBA season overseas (leading France to a silver medal at the Olympics) and averaged 10.3 points per game in 12 season games regular. Williams, however, has lucrative overseas contracts and has not confirmed whether she will return to the WNBA next season.
Finally, Wings’ Satou Sabally could be another option. But Sabally is eligible to be cut, and Dallas will likely benefit — especially since their other star, Arike Ogunbowale, can no longer be cut.
Indiana Fever needs more depth
Indiana has had a short rotation for most of the season, only bringing 2 or 3 players off the bench in any given game.
Fever starters frequently played 35 minutes or more per game, leading to fatigue in the heart of the season and some struggles when starters got into foul trouble. This became especially evident when Indiana had to use its defiance to overturn some fouls committed during the playoffs because they were initially called against the wrong player.
“I think for us it’s going to make sure we have depth at any position,” Fever center Aliyah Boston said of what she thinks Indiana needs this offseason. “I think we need to make sure we have extra bodies, just because you never know how games go.”
The Fever could re-sign Erica Wheeler to a less lucrative contract than she had in 2023-24 (she was the highest-paid player in the league in 2023). Wheeler would provide a veteran backup at the 1 and 2, while continuing to cultivate a good environment in the locker room.
Guard Odyssey Sims or forward Monique Billings would also be good options for Fever to provide some depth. With a tough contract, Sims averaged 17.2 points per game in nine games with Dallas this season. She then signed with the LA Sparks for the remainder of the season, starting 10 games and averaging 10.8 points per game.
Billings also had a rocky contract with the Wings for part of the season before signing with the Mercury. She averaged 8.8 points per game in 24 games (12 starts) with the Wings and played in 13 games with two starts for the Mercury.
Another advanced option could be Brianna Turner. She spent this season on the Sky as part of the trade that sent Kahleah Copper to Phoenix. She had a rough year with Chicago (mainly due to lack of usage), but was a four-year starter for the Mercury. His best season came in 2021, averaging 7.8 points and 9.4 rebounds for Phoenix.
Indiana Fever could use some defensive help
Despite making defense a priority this season, Indiana hasn’t improved its defensive rating too much from 2023 to 2024.
Indiana’s defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) was the second-worst in the league this season, at 107.5. This was technically a downgrade from 2023, when the Fever were ranked second with a defensive rating of 106.3. Now, the Fever has improved significantly this season thanks to a greatly improved offense. But to get to the championship level, they need a much better defense.
Instead of just scheme changes, they could also make some key personnel changes.
This is where Howard’s signing could be two-fold. Howard was the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and could give the Fever a big improvement in the 4th edition. And in defense.
In 2023, Howard’s final full season, she was 14th in the league with 1.2 blocks per game and 21st with 1.3 steals per game. She has been a consistent defensive presence during her 11 years in the league and could elevate the Fever’s defense.
Follow IndyStar Fever insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.
This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever’s offseason priorities in free agency and WNBA trades
