2025 WNBA Expansion Draft: Who the Fever choose to keep, and who they might lose
With the WNBA adding the Golden State Valkyries as the league's 13th team, executives and general managers now have some important decisions to make.
Each of the 12 existing teams will need to pick a group of six players protected from the expansion draft, meaning they will not be in the pool of players available for Golden State to select. The Valkyries will have the ability to select one player from each of the existing 12 teams to build a roster.
Now the speculation begins.
Who the Fever will keep
Well, spoiler alert: Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are not going anywhere. The rest could get tricky.
Now, it is safe to say that most teams will opt to keep their starting five and one key bench player. That's what will most likely happen here, as the Fever should be looking to keep Clark, Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and NaLyssa Smith. It's a solid core with young stars to build around, it's the right choice.
Things could get weird with Smith, though. Smith, at the end of the Fever's playoff run, removed the Fever from her Instagram bio. It is all speculation at this point, but it's not a good sign for the relationship between Smith and the organization. When new head coach Stephanie White was hired, she named Clark, Boston, and Mitchell as her "Big 3" and did not mention Smith at all.
It might be worthwhile for Fever GM Kelly Amber Cox to test those waters. Smith is a promising young star, exactly who Indiana wants in the "Caitlin Clark Era." But if Smith wants out, it would be smart to save another player with valuable minutes off the bench.
Smith will most likely end up on the protected list, though keep an eye on that situation.
Another situation to bring to light is the fact that Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. White seems set on bringing the 32-year-old back, and she and Clark played very well together this past season, so Mitchell will be protected.
In regards to the bench, it should be a rather simple decision. 6-foot-4 center Temi Fagbenle had a strong finish to the season and is continuing to play well overseas. She will likely be the sixth.
The Fever's projected six: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith, Temi Fagbenle
Who the Fever might lose
There are two players that the Fever should prepare to lose: Katie Lou Samuelson or Kristy Wallace.
Samuelson is a long-tenured veteran in the WNBA and provided valuable minutes off the bench (4.3 PPG, 2.3 REB, 1.4 AST in 18 minutes per game). While the 37-year-old isn't exactly a long-term selection, she would be the perfect mentor for young players as the organization begins its journey in the league.
The Valkyries will likely go this route in order to help the rest of the (likely) young roster adjust, but Kristy Wallace would be just as good of an option.
Wallace is the other player that makes sense when building a roster. She's 26, played quality minutes for Indiana in a stacked backcourt, and would probably do well in an expanded role. This would, however, be a pretty bad break for the Fever, as that leaves the team with just Samuelson and Erica Wheeler as the only guards to play meaningful minutes all season off the bench. Wheeler is 39, and with her becoming a free agent she may choose to retire. Samuelson may be right behind her.
If Wheeler retires, Wallace is picked up by Golden State, and Mitchell parts ways, all of a sudden the Fever have all sorts of problems.
Forward Damiris Dantas is another name to consider, but the 20-year-old only played half the season. Expect the Valkyries to go with a veteran presence or a guard with experience.