The Indiana Fever have a historic salary cap challenge brewing, putting the long-term futures of Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark into the spotlight. At present, they are the only team with two players eligible for EPIC contract extensions in their fourth season. So what does Fever GM Amber Cox make of it?
“We want those two around for their careers, the duration of their careers. And the EPIC clause) really allows us to plan now, whereas under the old CBA, they would be coming off of their rookie scale contract, and then you’re going into restricted free agency, and that’s only a couple of years. This gives us a longer runway to really plan, so we love this,” Cox said on April 18, as reported by Chloe Peterson.
The General Manager was clearly delighted at the prospect of securing Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark for the long term, thanks to the new EPIC clause in the WNBA’s 2026 CBA. Boston already signed a record $6.3 million extension under EPIC (exceptional players on initial contracts), which gives her the richest total contract in league history to date, something that Clark will also be eligible for a year later. This will now give the Fever a longer runway to plan their roster around both stars.
Boston, the 2023 No. 1 pick, was eligible via her All-WNBA second-team nod in 2025. She was the only player eligible for the extension in her 2023 draft class. Fever knew that they had to milk the moment, as this would invariably help them bypass a restricted free agency period, which would’ve gone into effect in 2027, and now they will get to keep Boston in the Fever organization for three additional years.
Sources close to IndyStar have shared that Boston will now make $1 million in 2026, then the supermax, which is 20% of the team’s cap, for three seasons from 2027 to 2029. Boston will not be eligible to be cored following the extension.
Moreover, Boston’s $1 million salary will replace her projected fourth-year rookie scale salary of $574,612. In 2026, she will make over 10 times her 2025 salary of $83,371. The 24-year-old, who sacrificed her salary so the team could make new additions, spoke about how far she is willing to go to help.
“I’m super blessed and grateful for this opportunity and to continue my journey here with the Fever. God is good!” Boston said in a statement. “I’m excited for the future ahead for both myself and for our team, and I can’t wait to keep building upon everything we have accomplished so far. Go Fever!”
The team is projected to have just $4,000 left in cap room after Boston’s contract, according to salary details listed by Her Hoop Stats. Indiana only has 11 spots filled right now, but they will probably add one of their three players on a training camp contract to the standard roster at the end of training camp.
However, what does this do for Caitlin Clark, who becomes eligible for a similar deal in 2027?
Caitlin Clark’s ‘Epic’ future ahead with Fever
The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year would be in line for a similar contract to Aliyah Boston’s when she becomes eligible in 2027, following her All-WNBA First Team selection in 2024. That figure could rise to a supermax deal if she wins MVP this season.
As of now, the guard is earning $528,846 in the third year of her rookie contract, a figure that is set to rise significantly. This could complicate matters for the Indiana Fever, who will also need to account for Aliyah Boston’s supermax and Caitlin Clark’s max salary—together projected to take up 37% of the team’s cap space in 2027.
Looking ahead to 2028, that figure could rise even further. Both players could potentially be on supermax contracts by then, accounting for 40% of the cap between them.
Besides the Indiana Fever, the Dallas Wings are also in a similar boat with Paige Bueckers, who again will become eligible in 2028 as she earned her All-WNBA second-team nod in 2025.
So, the cap situation does make things quite intriguing for the Indiana Fever, but it also gives them an advantage, allowing them to retain their players without having to re-sign them on the open market. After all, you don’t want to lose two marquee players who bring attention to Indianapolis.
