Caitlin Clark is under contract through 2027. Indiana can start talking about the years after that right now. With exit interviews behind us, the offseason conversation is turning to money: Clark's eligibility for an EPIC extension, roughly 3.6 million dollars in projected cap space according to Particle's roundup, and free agency for Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham. You're listening to the Indiana Fever Daily Podcast. Today, the contract math around Clark, Amber Cox calling her the league's tipping point, and the Aces getting pushed around on the glass in the semis.
David Schiavone, writing for MARCA:
Clark remains under contract through 2027 after Indiana exercised its team option, but she is already eligible to negotiate an EPIC extension after earning All-WNBA honors within the first three years of her rookie deal.
The framing in that piece comes from Linda Cohn on The Linda Cohn Show. Her line: that doesn't mean Clark should take less money. It means Indiana has to do more than pay its stars and still improve the roster around them. Thank you. Pay her, obviously. But you can't hand out max deals and call that an offseason. Cohn said it plainly too. Give Clark another perimeter defender, give Boston more frontcourt help. The question she raised that I hadn't heard much is structure. Cohn asked whether Clark will have an out if expectations aren't met. That's an open question, not reporting, but it's the right one to watch. And the money's tight. Particle has the cap space around 3.6 million with Mitchell and Cunningham both free agents. Cox called Sophie a leader and a connector in the locker room, and Cohn picked up on that. One more piece from Cox, via Particle. She said off-court controversies won't be a deciding factor in roster choices. That matters for Cunningham. And for the frontcourt, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files said after Game 3 that Boston's right knee meniscus hasn't been right since the final week of Unrivaled, and he wondered whether she opts for surgery. Which is exactly why frontcourt help can't be a nice-to-have.
Grant Afseth, writing for Roundtable, on Cox's end-of-season remarks:
Fever games were the most-watched across every one of the league's broadcast partners this season, Front Office Sports reported Sept. 25. ESPN averaged 1.4 million viewers for its WNBA games, up 17% from 2025. ESPN games that did not feature the Fever averaged 984,000.
That's the data behind what Cox said Saturday. She called Clark the tipping point and said everybody in the league has benefited from her, so we all need to say thank you more often. That last part was always going to start a fight online. MARCA's Euan Burns said as much, that it won't be universally welcomed. But Cox did get ahead of it. She said it takes nothing away from anyone who came before, that the build was slow, and then Clark arrived and the floodgates opened. Fine, but I want the basketball credit too. Cox said Clark took a step in the mid-range, finishing through contact, and defensively, and called it an MVP-caliber season. Forty of 44 games, 22.3 points, 8.3 assists. And her 27 and 15 in Game 2 was a first in league history, per ESPN. And the attendance numbers aren't only about Indiana. The league drew a record 3.79 million fans, averaging 11,474 a game. The Fever led everyone on the road at 15,116. Golden State sold out all 22 home games.
The Associated Press, on Sunday's semifinal opener in San Francisco:
Kayla Thornton also pulled down 11 rebounds to go with eight points for the Valkyries, who dominated the boards with a 52-25 advantage.
Golden State beat Las Vegas 71-60 in Game 1. Gabby Williams had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Kiah Stokes added 14 boards, and the Aces were held to their lowest point total of the season. Same Aces who put 94 on us Thursday night. Becky Hammon called it one of her team's most atrocious games of the season and said they lost it on the boards. That's the Fever lesson. A'ja Wilson still scored 24. Golden State didn't stop her. They just won the possession battle with size and bodies. That's the frontcourt depth Indiana is shopping for. Also, Jewell Loyd left early in the third with a left leg injury, and Stephanie Talbot missed it with a left leg injury of her own. Vegas is getting thin. Game 2 of the best-of-five is Wednesday night at Chase Center.
Got a take on what Indiana should offer Clark, or who belongs on the free agent wish list? Send it to indianafeverdailyfancast at lantern podcasts dot com. Corrections are welcome too.
Tomorrow we'll be back, with the Aces and Valkyries tipping off Game 2 that night. The show notes have links to each story we covered. This has been the Indiana Fever Daily Podcast, part of the Lantern Podcasts family.