Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are powering the Indiana Fever’s championship aspirations this year alongside fellow star Aliyah Boston. With the trio playing well together, the Fever could claim their first title since 2012.
But according to WNBA pundit Rachel DeMita, Indiana’s window to keep that core together could be shorter than it appears.
Fever’s Title Charge Could Lead to Tough Caitlin Clark-Kelsey Mitchell ‘Dilemma’
Among Indiana’s Big 3, Boston’s future is the most secure. She signed a four-year, $6.3 million extension in April, keeping the All-Star center under contract through 2029 unless she is traded.
The bigger questions start with Clark and Mitchell.
Clark is expected to become eligible for a significant pay increase after the 2026 season, while Mitchell’s one-year, $1.4 million contract expires at the end of the year. That could leave Indiana facing some difficult decisions just as its current core is hitting its stride.
DeMita recently raised that possibility on social media.
“The Indiana Fever have a huge dilemma looming.”
The “Courtside Club” host went into greater detail about the situation on her podcast.
“If we wanna just quickly talk about the salary situation with the Indiana Fever. … Aliyah Boston is on her EPIC contract. … Now, Caitlin Clark will also be eligible for a max contract next season,” DeMita said.
The Indiana Fever have a huge dilemma looming pic.twitter.com/LxC6pzJNoc
— Courtside Club (@CourtsideClub_) August 29, 2026
“… Kelsey Mitchell is also on a max contract deal. … I’m just not sure if they have the salary cap space to do that for Kelsey, Caitlin and Aliyah Boston.”
The “EPIC” (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) provision under the new CBA allows certain top performers to qualify for max and supermax contracts earlier than before. Boston has already landed hers, while Clark becomes eligible in 2027.
Clark, earning $528,846 this season, could make $1.3 million in 2027 before potentially rising to $1.7 million the following year, according to Yahoo Sports.
If Mitchell were to sign another one-year, $1.4 million deal in 2027, Indiana would already have roughly $4.2 million committed to its three stars.
The bigger issue is the size of the Fever’s overall cap.
This year, the salary cap is set at $7 million. Next season’s figure will be determined by the league’s revenue-sharing formula, although it cannot be more or less than 13% of the previous season’s cap, per ESPN.
Using $7 million as a rough baseline, keeping all three players on premium contracts could leave Indiana with considerably less room to fill out the rest of the roster.
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This is where the Fever’s current success creates an interesting dilemma. Clark is arguably the WNBA’s biggest draw, making a major pay cut difficult to envision, while Mitchell has established herself as one of the league’s premier scorers and will have a strong case for a lucrative contract of her own.
DeMita believes those financial pressures could make the 2026 season a “championship or bust” situation in Indiana.
If the Fever can turn their current momentum into a championship, the organization may be more willing to navigate the difficult financial decisions that follow.
If they fall short, the front office could have to weigh how much it can realistically spend to preserve a core that may soon become one of the league’s most expensive.
