The collective agreement between WNBA and the players’ union expired Friday night, and the lack of a third extension has placed both teams in a period of status quo in terms of league business.
These status quo conditions mean that teams, under U.S. labor law, must act according to specifications in the collective bargaining agreement. That includes sending out qualifying offers, league sources confirmed. IndyStar.
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Front Office Sports Reported that the league began calling teams late last week to tell them they would have to send qualifying offers as specified in the league’s offseason schedule.
The delivery period for qualifying offers, including base offers, restricted qualifying offers, and reserved qualifying offers, is January 11-20. These qualifying offers would be governed by the terms of the expired collective bargaining agreement, sources said.
Vice President of the WNBPA Breanna Stewart told ESPN The union was aware that qualifying offers could be made to some players, but advised players not to sign anything. If a player signs a qualifying offer before signing a new collective bargaining agreement, he is subject to the salary conditions of the old CBA.
ESPN also reported that the two sides were discussing the possibility of a moratorium. This would not be a strike or lockout, but a moratorium could prevent official league business from taking place for a specified period of time or until a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon.
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Neither side has announced a moratorium.
So league business can proceed as planned. This includes qualifying offers through January 20, free agent negotiation starting January 21, and free agent signings on February 1.
How the status quo affects Indiana Fever, free agents Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell
The Indiana Fever is legally required to send qualifying offers by January 20.
Under terms of expired CBA, MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell is eligible to receive another qualifying base offer, which would give Fever exclusive negotiating rights in exchange for a supermax salary of approximately $250,000.
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Mitchell, who wore the Fever uniform for her entire eight-year WNBA career, has not committed to her future in Indianapolis.
“Eight years is going to be a lot to say, because I have so much love and so much aspiration for this place,” Mitchell said during Fever exit interviews in October. “And I think when the time is right, the conversations will happen. Indy is like my second family, and everything I’ve been through the last eight years. I don’t think there’s any other place that’s been bigger for me, the growth and all that. So I think the right conversations will happen, and when it’s time, I guess we’ll all know.”
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The basic rules could also change in the new CBA, which could reduce the length of time a player is eligible for basic designation to one season, or eliminate it altogether. If that happens, Mitchell would no longer be base eligible and she would become an unrestricted free agent.
Fever are also eligible to send a restricted qualifying offer to Lexie Hullwho has just completed his rookie contract. Sending a qualifying offer to Hull would officially make her a restricted free agent — meaning she could court offers from other teams, but Indiana has the right of first refusal and is able to match any offer it receives.
Hull, the Fever’s No. 6 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, has previously expressed interest in remaining in Indianapolis.
“I loved my years here at Indiana,” Hull said during Fever exit interviews. “Obviously with a lot of uncertainty, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ve built my life here and I love this franchise, I love the people, I love the fans.”
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The Fever are also eligible to send a reserved qualifying offer, which can be extended to any free agent with less than three years of WNBA service, to Chloe Bibby.
The Fever signed Bibby around midway through the 2025 season after she was waived by the Golden State Valkyries, but she only played nine games for Indiana before being ruled out for the year with a knee injury.
A reserved qualifying offer would give Bibby a one-year, unprotected contract at minimum salary, and Indiana would have exclusive negotiating rights.
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Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage delivered straight to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark’s Fever Newsletter. Subscribe to the IndyStar YouTube channel for Fever Insiders live.
This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever free agents Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull could receive qualifying offers
