The Indiana Fever entered the offseason with a clear mission: build a contender around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. They did just that, re-signing Kelsey Mitchell, adding DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Brianna Turner, Sydney Colson, and Jaelyn Brown in free agency, and trading for Sophie Cunningham.
The Fever now feature several proven veterans and defensive-minded players. Even Sheryl Swoopes, who has been very critical of Caitlin Clark in the past, admitted that the Fever looked like a legitimate contender. If the new additions fit in well, the Fever could easily battle with the likes of Minnesota, New York, and Las Vegas.
However, building a contender in just one offseason came at a rather steep price. To get Sophie Cunningham, the Fever traded NaLyssa Smith to the Dallas Wings and the eighth pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to the Connecticut Sun in a massive deal that sent Satou Sabally to the Phoenix Mercury. So, essentially, the Fever had to give up two first-round picks, including a lottery pick.
That decision should soon look pretty good, though.
The Fever might not have landed an impactful player in this year’s draft
Most Fever fans would agree that Sophie Cunningham is an upgrade over NaLyssa Smith considering the team’s needs around Clark and Boston. Smith is a talented player—the Fever drafted her second overall for a reason—but was not a great fit next to Indiana’s two stars. Cunningham could be just the role player the Fever need. She is a good defender and 3-point shooter, which is exactly the type of player the Fever need next to Clark and Boston.
However, the Fever also gave up another first-round pick. That is a steep price for a role player, but it was the right decision for the Fever. The Fever want to win this season. Adding a veteran role player will help them accomplish that goal more than adding a young player who likely would not even be ready to contribute to a winning team yet.
Players drafted in the middle of the first round can have great WNBA careers, but there is no guarantee that the Fever would have landed a player like that in this year’s draft. Since Olivia Miles decided not to declare for the 2025 Draft, the best players will all move up, and teams would have to be incredibly lucky to find someone ready to contribute right away with the eighth overall pick. This year’s draft is not quite as deep as last year’s draft, which saw All-Star Angel Reese go seventh overall.
That will become more obvious once the draft is over and even more so when the season actually starts.