5 Offseason mistakes the Indiana Fever must avoid at all costs

The Indiana Fever enter the offseason looking to take the next step. Caitlin Clark proved she is one of the WNBA’s best players and helped the franchise snap a seven-year playoff drought. The Fever won’t be satisfied just qualifying for the postseason in 2025. They want to be serious title contenders.

Indiana must upgrade their roster. They have already remade their front office, and Kelly Krauskopf has already devised a plan. Can the Fever execute? Indiana needs more talent and depth. They figure to draw interest from several players, but finding the right fits is imperative.

Indiana has the best young superstar in the W. It is all about building around Clark. The front office must avoid these mistakes as they look to take the next step in 2025.

5. Losing key piece in the expansion draft

The Golden State Valkyries will join the WNBA for the 2025 season as the league’s 13th franchise. Two more teams are coming in 2026 as the product grows. There will be an expansion draft in December for the Valkyries to fill their roster.

Each existing franchise gets to protect six players, but things are not simple for the Fever. Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Lexi Hull are obvious keepers. They would need to protect Kelsey Mitchell to core her. The final two spots are up for grabs.

The Fever do not want to lose a talented player with trade value. They must maximize their assets to build a championship roster around Caitlin Clark. Indiana has decisions to make this offseason, but they must protect their most important players to avoid a missed opportunity.

The Valkyries can only select one player from each roster, but it could be a costly one for the Fever.

4. Keeping Sides and Smith

The Fever’s new front office inherited head coach Christie Sides, but do they keep her? She went 13-27 in year one before making the playoffs in 2024. Those are her only two years of head coaching experience, and she did not maximize her talent on the floor. There were positives, but does a more experienced coach give Indiana a better shot at winning a title?

NaLyssa Smith started most of the season but was benched in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Sun. Her production dipped everywhere, but her shot-blocking. Clearly, Smith was not a fit with the changes made after a productive 2023 campaign.

The franchise cannot keep Sides and Smith. They must part with one of them. Smith has All-Star potential but is unlikely to reach it playing next to Caitlin Clark. Sides could not maximize the 6’4 forward in their current system. The front office may decide to part ways with both, but at least must go before the start of the 2025 campaign.

3. Drafting a non-shooter in 1st round

The Fever need shooting and defense around Caitlin Clark. No player created more points this season than the 22-year-old. Her ability to stretch the floor, get to the rim, and find open teammates is unmatched. Indiana needs shooters to maximize her. Fans can look no further than Lexi Hull and her massive improvement with Clark freeing her for open looks.

The Fever have the eighth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft where another group of talented youngsters will leap into the league. Indiana must find a floor space that fits playing an up-tempo style. She does not need to be ready for significant minutes from opening night. The Fever want a long-term fit with room to grow into a core piece around Clark for the next decade.

Ideally, Indiana would get a 3-and-D wing, but that is a difficult archetype to find. Finding a shooter with some size would be a win with the eighth overall selection.

2. Signing ill-fitting free agents

The Fever must build their roster around Clark. She wants to play fast and create open looks for her teammates. Indiana cannot put multiple non-shooters on the floor and must improve the defense around her. The Fever just need to be average on D to be a serious title threat.

Kelly Krauskopf knows how to build a title challenger from her years creating the roster around Tamika Catchings. She must focus on fit and how to maximize her roster. That is not easy, but failing to do so will stagnate the franchise. Clark likely wills them to the playoffs, but it will be another quick exit without significant improvements.

1. Letting Kelsey Mitchell depart

The two-time All-Star is an unrestricted free agent, but the Fever need her to stay. They are not replacing her with another star and will be in danger of taking a step backward if Mitchell is wearing a different uniform next season.

The 5’8 guard became an elite scorer next to Caitlin Clark. There was talk of her coming off the bench to begin the year and it ended with Mitchell finishing tenth in MVP voting. Her elite shooting and play finishing make her the ideal offensive backcourt partner next to the Fever’s superstar. Clark creates the looks and the duo finishes them.

Fans already have some anxiety about Mitchell’s free agency. The Fever must offer a max contract to keep her. It will only be a one-year deal as the W’s salary cap will rise significantly in 2026. It is an easy decision, but things could turn problematic if Mitchell wants to play elsewhere.

The Indiana Fever are just beginning a crucial offseason and have much work to do. Can they build a title-contending roster around Caitlin Clark? Stay tuned to find out.