How WNBA CBA Uncertainty Impacts Indiana Fever

Anticipation should be ramping up for Caitlin Clark's return to the Indiana Fever lineup, but WNBA business is on pause amid CBA talks.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and guard Sophie Cunningham (8) watch from the bench during the first half of a game against the Washington Mystics on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Anticipation for the 2026 WNBA season should be building right now. The schedule was released last week, and for the Indiana Fever specifically, the start of a new year means the return of a healthy Caitlin Clark to the floor.

However, it's hard for fans to get too excited given the entire WNBA is currently in a holding pattern. This is due to the ongoing stalemate in CBA negotiations between the players' union and the league.

Just like every other team, this impacts the Fever, with the timing concern being the most pressing.

Will the Season Start on Time?

Sep 30, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts from the bench after a play made by the Las Vegas Aces during the fourth quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The most immediate issue is whether a new collective bargaining agreement can be completed in time for the season to start as scheduled. The Fever are set to open the regular season against the Dallas Wings on May 9, but all indications point to a deal needing to be reached in early February for the league to fit needed offseason business in before tip-off.

This raises the concern that the season could delayed, which would of course delay Clark's return to WNBA action even further.

Drafts and Free Agency Need to Happen

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call from the referee on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever, 81-80. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Part of the reason for urgency is the that the WNBA will have to conduct an expansion draft, free agency, and the WNBA Draft—all in a condensed calendar.

Surely the Fever front office is preparing for the big decisions ahead, but as of now things are on pause.

Once the terms of a new deal are revealed, it will be confirmed how many players the team will be able to protect in the expansion draft and the free agency picture will begin to take shape.

Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Mikayla Timpson are the only Fever players under contract for 2026, with Lexie Hull being a restricted free agent. That means the futures of franchise cornerstone Kelsey Mitchell and fan-favorite Sophie Cunningham will have to be settled in short order, in addition to any moves the team will make to bolster the roster around its core.

And that's before the WNBA Draft itself, where the Fever hold the No. 10 selection.

This means any excitement is preceded by anxiety, because almost everything about the WNBA right now is uncertain. Hopefully progress on the CBA picks up quickly, that way Fever fans can starting getting ready for a frenetic offseason, followed by a crack at a fully healthy campaign, with the complete makeup of the roster still to be determined.