Kelsey Mitchell’s best season ever may not be enough to keep her in Indiana. Despite powering the Fever’s offense to 115.0 (WNBA record) with a career-high 50.9 field-goal percentage and 45.0 three-point percentage, Mitchell is a free agent. Yet even those numbers may not overcome Indiana’s looming salary-cap constraints.

The biggest issue the Fever will face if they offer Mitchell more than her previous $1.4 million, one-year contract will be cap space. With Caitlin Clark’s accolades like the 2024 Rookie of the Year honor, three-time WNBA All-Star, and making the 2026 All-WNBA team, Clark’s earnings in 2027 are projected to go up from just below $600,000 to $1.3 million (maximum), because she qualifies for an EPIC extension.

In addition to the salary cap, Mitchell also hinted that the security that comes from playing alongside someone as popular as Clark takes an emotional toll. With the Fever not indicating whether they will pursue Mitchell or explore other options, here are some free agents they can consider to fill that gap if she leaves.

Kelsey Plum

They share the same first name, but their playing styles are different. Plum is a two-time WNBA champion who brings that experience to the team. We all saw how valuable that experience is when DeWanna Bonner helped the Atlanta Dream force the 2026 WNBA Finals to its first Game 7 in history, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

While Mitchell is a high-volume scorer who perfectly synergizes with Clark’s game-making and assisting skills to dish out 20+ point games 27 times this season, Plum brings her own game-making ability and averages more assists than Mitchell.

Plum averaged 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game in 12 games with the LA Sparks in 2026 before she suffered a lower left leg injury (calf strain/tendinopathy) on June 21, 2026, and the Phoenix Mercury acquired her. Plum should also provide better perimeter defense and rebounding, as despite injuries affecting her season, she still finished with 2.1 rebounds, ahead of Mitchell’s 1.7.

Jackie Young

No player may be a better one-for-one swap for Mitchell, while providing the defensive backup the Fever needs, than Jackie Young. A three-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces, Young also posted some career-high numbers in 2026.

She averaged a career-best 18.9 points and 6.8 assists in 2026. Although she doesn’t match Mitchell’s production of 24.7 PPG or 50.9 field goal percentage, Young’s assists and 4.4 rebounds per game are proof of her better all-around ability. The issue with Young is whether she’ll part ways with the Aces.

Unlike the Kelsey Mitchell-Indiana Fever situation, where she allegedly even unfollowed the team on social media, there are no reports of friction between Young and the Aces. Her duo with A’ja Wilson is also one of the most effective in the league.

On July 20, 2026, Wilson and Young combined for 50 points as the Aces beat the Toronto Tempo 109-83. Wilson scored 26 points, while Young scored 24 and dropped 12 assists.

Whether the Aces let her walk away remains to be seen.

Napheesa Collier

Another unrestricted free agent Indiana can target is Napheesa Collier. Once again, Collier brings better versatility and defensive ability than Mitchell’s raw shooting prowess.

The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time MVP runner-up played just 16 games this season. Although she spent the first half of the season recovering from the ankle injury she suffered in 2025, Collier looked like she hadn’t lost a beat once she came back.

The Minnesota Lynx star averaged 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 16 games while shooting 50% from the field. In 2025, when she played 33 games, those numbers looked even better, with Collier averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 53.1% from the field.

Collier also didn’t hint whether she’ll re-sign with the Lynx in her exit interview.

“I haven’t even thought about that. We lost less than 48 hours ago, and I don’t think we didn’t expect to be here. So I really haven’t had any time to decompress or anything like that,” Collier said in her exit interview.

However, she also explained that she does love the Minnesota Lynx. So, just like with Young and the Aces, the Lynx may not want to let go of Collier so easily.

Courtney Williams

The other Minnesota Lynx player the Fever can target is Courtney Williams. Although her numbers aren’t as impressive on paper as Collier, she brings veteran leadership and experience and, most of all, consistency.

One of the key aspects the Fever lacked was a reliable defensive player other than Aliyah Boston. Williams averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds (4.0 defensive rebounds), and 4.3 assists. That kind of consistency could be crucial for the Fever’s rotations and improving their overall defensive reliability.

Awak Kuier

So far we’ve looked at players who bring versatility, experience, and overall impact. Awak Kuier presents the Fever with a purely defensive option. The 6’6 forward would bring physicality and athleticism to Indiana’s defense. In 2026, she averaged 1.8 blocks per game for the Dallas Wings.

If the Indiana Fever do focus on heavily improving their defense, Kuier could be one of their best options. The best part about the Wings forward is that her shooting skills improved vastly in 2026, as she shot 39.0% from beyond the arc, up from just 8.7% in 2025.

The problem Indiana faces in case Mitchell doesn’t come back is finding someone who matches her scoring volume and accuracy on the hardwood. However, finding someone who can match Mitchell’s output is easier said than done. So the Fever’s best bet would be to look at more all-around players or create balance between offense and defense.

Although their offensive output may suffer, the 2026 WNBA champions, Golden State Valkyries, and runner-up Atlanta Dream, both top-five defenses in the league, have shown that even the best offense can’t win games when you can’t stop your opponents from scoring.