The Fever are down to twelve now, and every little roster choice, every role tweak, every waiver name feels huge for this team. Welcome to Indiana Fever Daily. Today we're getting into the final cuts, what moving Clark off the ball could mean, and whether Kate Martin might be on the move back home. Three players waived before tip-off, Clark maybe changing roles, and $470 million in franchise value hanging over the whole thing. Easy preseason, right? The stakes are real, the league is growing, and Indiana's supposed to be in the contender mix. Now we get to see if the roster they settled on can actually hold. Here's Mick Talks Hoops:
So, the Indiana Fever have finally waved their three players. Well, they have waved their three players and now they're down to 12. The 12 that they promised were going to make the team a month ago.
The roster picture we were talking about has come into focus. Indiana is down to 12 before tipoff, and McConnell, Simmons, and the third cut are out. None of that is surprising. What bugs me is they basically announced all 12 spots back in April, then brought in camp bodies who were never really competing for anything. So what was the point of the audition? Mick's bigger point makes sense. If you aren't bringing in people who can actually push for a spot, you're just burning through camp. McConnell was the closest thing to a real WNBA-caliber fight for one, and even she wasn't close. The Dantis-versus-Chloe Bby part is where I start squinting. Bby gets moved for basically nothing, Indiana doesn't make a call, and if your twelfth spot is that thin, you should be shopping. George Gordillo, writing in MARCA:
For the Indiana Fever to finally break through and reach their first finals since 2015, they need more than just talent, they need a tactical evolution. Head coach Stephanie White is looking to revolutionize the way the team utilizes their biggest star.
Marca is saying the Fever are looking at more off-ball work for Caitlin Clark this season. Stephanie White wants to ease some of the defensive pressure on her and keep her healthier over a full year. Honestly, smart. Last year showed Indiana can still compete even when Clark isn't carrying everything, and if you add off-ball movement plus better spacing, that changes a lot when she's actually out there all season. And the context matters. Vegas has won three of the last four titles, and Indiana pushed them to Game 5 overtime in the semis without Clark and without Sophie Cunningham. If that's the shorthanded version, a healthier, more versatile Clark is a real jump. The part I keep coming back to is who handles pick-and-roll initiation when Clark goes off-ball. That job doesn't just assign itself, and Indiana has had real on-ball creation issues outside of her. Yahoo Sports writes:
Kate Martin was waived by the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday as the franchise finalized its 12-player roster ahead of the regular season, ending her lone season in San Francisco in surprising fashion. The decision came as Martin was recovering from a Grade 2 right quad strain late in April, which has kept her on the sidelines.
Kate Martin was waived by Golden State on Thursday when the Valkyries finalized their opening-day roster. She's on waivers now, quad injury and all, and yes, Indiana is one of the teams people are watching. A Grade 2 quad strain is serious, but Kate Martin on a waiver claim would still be a real depth add. She played 42 games for the Valkyries last year and earned every one of them. If the Fever have the priority and the room, you make the call. The 48-hour window is the big piece here. If nobody claims her, she clears and becomes a free agent, and then it's a negotiation instead of a claim. Waiver priority is going to matter a lot in how this lands. Sure, she and Clark were college teammates, but I don't want that to be the whole story. Martin is a legit two-way wing who fits what Indiana needs on the floor. Roster fit first, reunion story second. Angelica Medina, writing in SRN News:
May 7 (Reuters) – The WNBA’s 30th season tips off on Friday with expansion teams in Toronto and Portland, a new collective bargaining agreement in place and a title race led by the New York Liberty, defending champion Las Vegas Aces and Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever.
The WNBA's 30th season tips off tomorrow. You've got expansion in Toronto and Portland, a new CBA, and the title race already looking like New York, Las Vegas, and Indiana. And I love that the Fever are being talked about like actual contenders, not just 'the team Caitlin Clark plays for.' Boston in the post, Mitchell attacking closeouts — that's a roster, not a sideshow. The Liberty adding Sabally to Stewart, Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones is genuinely scary. That's probably the deepest frontcourt in the league. And the Aces are still the Aces as long as A'ja Wilson is breathing. Becky Hammon having experienced pieces while Indiana is still sorting out new combinations — that's the gap. The Fever window is real, but the Aces have already done this, and they know how to survive it. Trey Alston, writing in Yahoo Sports:
ESPN, citing a new report from Sportico, says that the team, which was valued at just $90 million before the 2024 WNBA draft, is now at a whopping $560 million valuation. That makes it the third most valuable team in the league
Sportico has the Fever at $560 million, up from $90 million before the 2024 draft. That's a $470 million jump in about two years. Conversation over, honestly. And I want to be clear: that valuation growth is real money, and it should flow back to the players. The new CBA is at least a step in that direction. Clark going from $85K to $528K isn't a gift — it's the market catching up. For context, the Fever are now third in league valuation behind the Liberty and the Golden State Valkyries at $850 million. The WNBA's financial picture looks nothing like it did 24 months ago, and that matters way beyond one franchise. My only pushback is this: cover Caitlin Clark the basketball player, not just the revenue story. The valuation jump is real, but so is what she's doing on the floor, and both deserve room. If you're enjoying Indiana Fever Daily, hit subscribe wherever you're listening. And if you can leave a review, that really helps other Fever fans find the show. Thanks for being here with us.
If you want to dig deeper into anything we covered today, we've put the links for every story in the show notes. Follow up on the ones that caught your ear.
That's Indiana Fever Daily Podcast for this Friday, May 8th. Thanks for listening. This is a Lantern Podcast.