It’s time for the Indiana Fever to make some moves in free agency.
The time to core players, like Kelsey Mitchell, ran from Jan. 11-20. Teams can start negotiating with free agents from Jan. 21-30, and they can officially sign players starting Feb. 1.
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Here are four things the Fever could prioritize in the 2025 free agency period:
Re-sign Kelsey Mitchell
This one, really, is obvious. Kelsey Mitchell has been a cornerstone of the franchise for the past seven years, playing through the worst years of the franchise’s history before finally seeing the postseason for the first time in 2024.
She has led the Fever in scoring in five of her seven years (finishing three total points behind Caitlin Clark last season), and is the type of veteran player that brings continuity to the locker room.
The Fever have cored Mitchell, which is a one-year deal with a super-maximum salary (around $249,000) in exchange for exclusive negotiating rights, but that’s not an end-all situation. Mitchell could still want to leave, forcing a sign-and-trade out of Indiana, so the Fever will need to convince her this is still the best place for her going forward.
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An upgrade at power forward
Satou Sabally, who has announced she will be leaving Dallas despite being cored, would be a perfect fit for Indiana’s needs at the 4.
At this point, the Wings’ core makes it so they get something back for their star forward. Indiana will need to construct a comprehensive trade package to Dallas for potentially only one year of Sabally, as well. That deal would likely include NaLyssa Smith, Indiana’s current starter at the 4 — Smith had a down year in 2024 and publicly shared her frustrations with the franchise, so a fresh start could be good for her.
Sabally could also simply choose to go somewhere else — cored players using a sign-and-trade to leave their current franchise can essentially choose where they want to go. Her sister, Nyara Sabally, and former Oregon teammate Sabrina Ionescu play on the reigning champion New York Liberty. If the Liberty can find some cap space for her, they could make a compelling offer to reunite with her sister and Ionescu.
If the Fever lose the Sabally sweepstakes, they could make a run at another former Wing: Natasha Howard.
Howard, the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and announced she would not be returning to the Wings. She would immediately bolster the Fever’s defensive efforts. Howard is a former Fever player, playing for coach Stephanie White from 2014-15 before executing a sign-and-trade to the Minnesota Lynx.
A backup point guard
Indiana did not have a backup point guard that worked similar to Caitlin Clark in 2024, and that changed Indiana’s offensive scheme a lot, sometimes mid-game.
Erica Wheeler, who was Indiana’s backup point guard last year, was more of a facilitator — she wasn’t a big scorer, and Indiana ran a more basic offensive scheme while she was running the point. While Clark was on the floor, Indiana played more fast-paced, with Clark distributing flashy passes and scoring heavily herself.
In 2025, Indiana needs to find a backup point guard that works more like their starter. Obviously, not very many players can replicate what Clark does, but finding someone who could facilitate that fast-paced offense would give Indiana more stability when Clark needs a break on the bench — and give Clark more opportunities to take those breaks without affecting the flow of the game.
Defensive-minded philosophy
Indiana ranked second-to-last in defensive rating in both 2023 and ‘24, so it’s time for a revamp in defensive philosophy in Indianapolis.
This is where Howard could be a great fit with the Fever, as well. She’s been a defensive powerhouse throughout her years in the WNBA, and she could help change the philosophy of the Fever’s defensive scheme.
This could also be fixed simply by new coach Stephanie White’s philosophy — she is more of a defensive-minded coach than Christie Sides, and she could instill that into her current players. Connecticut had the best defensive rating in the league in 2024, allowing an average of 94.1 points per 100 possessions, and a lot of that came from coaching. If White could bring that to Indianapolis successfully, Indiana may not need to bring in specific defensive-minded players.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA free agency 2025: Who should Indiana Fever sign this offseason?
