How Caitlin Clark’s Raise Reshapes Indiana Fever Salary Math

The new WNBA CBA brings with it a salary cap math problem for the Indiana Fever.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts from the bench during Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While much of the focus has been on Caitlin Clark’s impending raise under the new WNBA CBA, what it means for the Indiana Fever’s roster construction is where things get interesting.

That's because not only is Clark eligible for a max salary a year earlier than expected (2027) but her current rookie deal is now scaling up relative to where it was under the previous agreement, and that's with Aliyah Boston (who is also on a rookie deal) becoming max-eligible immediately due to a provision in the new CBA according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Of course, all salary numbers are jumping thanks to the transformative terms, but the increased monetary commitments for the Indiana Fever will complicate the math with the salary cap.

Boston can now command a deal in excess of $1 million a year having made an All-WNBA team on her rookie contract (players who do that on rookie deals are now max-eligible going into their fourth season), while Clark can claim the max of $1.3 million as early as 2027.

But the rookie wage scale is also jumping, so Clark's current salary will move from $78,066 in 2025 to $530,000 in 2026 per ESPN.

Those numbers come into play as star guard Kelsey Mitchell is once again a free agent and eligible for the supermax of $1.4 million.

With the 2026 cap projected at close to $7 million, if the Fever were to bring Mitchell back and increase Boston's deal, that trio alone would eat up close to half of the cap—and that's with Clark's salary set to more than double again next season.

Can Fever Afford Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull?

Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) warm up before the start of the game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

While there will be changes to the core designation under the new CBA, according to Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, those begin in 2027. If that is the case, the Fever could core Mitchell (locking her in on a one-year deal at the max) as a short-term stopgap. But that doesn't take into account Mitchell's long-term goals or the fact that she, Clark and Boston would take up well more than half of the cap with any commitments beyond this season.

Then there are the Fever's other free agents—namely Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham. Hull is restricted, meaning the team can match any contract offer she receives. Cunningham has expressed a desire to remain in Indiana, but is also looking for a longer contract with a significant pay bump.

The average player salary under the new CBA is expected to be around $600,000 and both Hull and Cunningham are well within their rights to ask for more than that. If you add those two to the Clark-Boston-Mitchell trio, and they receive any type of raise above average, the Fever would be in the ballpark of having only a couple million or so left to fill out the remaining spots on the roster.

And that's entering an offseason where more than 100 players will be free agents, which could put some enticing alternatives on the table. Beyond that the new minimum salaries are expected to be in the range of $270,000 for rookies and $300,000 for veterans, making filling out the rest of the roster a challenge with the new math.

It will be fascinating to see if the Fever go all-in to make it work now, and how they plan to adapt to the salary changes for their stars going forward. Because the team's biggest advantage—building around superstars on rookie deals—is about to disappear.