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The Fever surpassed all expectations in 2025 when, playing without Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Indiana pushed the Las Vegas Aces all the way to a fifth and deciding game in the WNBA semifinals.
Now healthy entering 2026, the Fever will be among a handful of bonafide title contenders, and Indiana will be a popular dark horse pick to capture its first title in 14 years.
However, the Fever's roster could be among the WNBA's more expensive talent assemblages, which will raise the ante on head coach Stephanie White to deliver a title before long.
With Indiana now firmly in a championship window though -- and 77 players reaching unrestricted free agency at the same time this week -- the Fever may prove to be a desirable destination. Former WNBA champions DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard saw the vision and joined Indiana in free agency last year, though Bonner eventually left to rejoin the Phoenix Mercury.
These four players would be high-impact additions to an Indiana core led by Clark and Aliyah Boston, and their arrivals might make the difference in September.
Ezi Magbegor
Magbegor, an All-Star in 2023, is one of the premier defensive bigs in the WNBA. She has been an All-Defense selection for four years running and garnered a first-team selection in 2024, when she finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Magbegor has spent her entire six-year career with the Storm, and Seattle could easily re-sign her as the franchise retools under new head coach Sonia Raman and around budding superstar Dominique Malonga. But pairing Magbegor with Boston would be terrifying for opponents; even though the former has some questions about her shot, her rim protection would be transformational for a team that finished seventh in defensive efficiency in 2025.
Marina Mabrey
Mabrey wants to play on a contender, and the expansion Toronto Tempo -- which hold her rights following last week's expansion draft -- might not be one right away.
What Toronto has though over other teams is the ability to sign Mabrey to a max contract. If she's willing to take less on the open market though, then her shooting range from a reserve role would be a good fit next to Clark.
Indiana may yet bring back both Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham in free agency. But Mabrey has shot better than 35 percent from 3-point land four times in her career. Consistency has sometimes been an issue; the shooting talent never has been.
Jessica Shepard
Shepard quietly was one of the WNBA's most efficient players in 2025. She led the league in two-point field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage. But where she might most help the Fever is on the glass, where Indiana placed ninth in total rebounds per game.
Shepard's 20.9 rebound percentage would have led the Fever by some distance last season. Combined with her offensive upside, Shepard would be a savvy addition to the Indiana frontcourt rotation -- with the bonus of swiping her from a fellow contender in the Minnesota Lynx.
Kelsey Mitchell
Mitchell is a familiar name to Fever fans as one of the franchise's greatest-ever scorers. Her inclusion on this list highlights her importance to Indiana, and how a championship push is far less likely if she bolts for another team in free agency.
The Fever extended a Core qualifying offer to Mitchell on Tuesday, and Indiana hopes to re-sign her to a new $1.4 million supermax contract. Mitchell was an MVP finalist in 2025 and was named first-team All-WNBA after she set a franchise record by averaging 20.2 points per game.
Kelsey Mitchell has received Core qualifying offer from the Fever. pic.twitter.com/Te70y1c6Xh
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) April 7, 2026Mitchell led the WNBA in field goals attempted and three-pointers made while placing second in points scored behind MVP winner A'ja Wilson. She is a lethal shooter who improved defensively in 2025, and the Fever have to re-sign her to ensure she continues her career with the only team she's represented.
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