3 Indiana Fever players who won't be back after breakthrough season

The Indiana Fever were the biggest story of the 2024 WNBA season.

This was in large part due to the presence of young superstar Caitlin Clark, but also because they led one of the biggest turnarounds in the league this past season.

Indiana has been building and improving for two straight seasons now, and found themselves in the playoffs in 2024 just a year removed from being last in the Eastern Conference and owners of the first overall pick.

There is a bittersweet nature to becoming a better team, however, as other organizations around the league look to pluck branches from your tree in attempts to improve themselves.

Three players from the Fever are free agents this offseason, and with the uncertainty now at head coach, all three could be in jeopardy of leaving the franchise.

Let's take a look at who may not be back for Indiana next season:

3. Kelsey Mitchell

Kelsey Mitchell entered the 2024 WNBA season in a contract year, meaning that she was an unrestricted free agent after the season's end. She had no long-term deal locked in with the Fever, so she is now set to test the free agent market and have no restrictions in doing so.

2024 was the best season of Mitchell's career, as she recorded a career-high in points per game and field goal percentage. She also had her lowest amount of turnovers per game in her seven seasons and recorded her second-highest rebounding and 3-point percentage outputs.

Mitchell rose to stardom alongside her running mate in the backcourt, Caitlin Clark, but the former Ohio State Buckeye may want to expand her role once again and be the face of another franchise.

No matter how you slice it, Clark will be the face of the Fever for as long as she remains in Indianapolis, so Mitchell has a unique opportunity to build off of the notoriety she earned and become the main catalyst for a WNBA franchise that may need one.

Because she is not a restricted free agent, the Fever cannot retain her by matching another team's offers. They will have to straight up outbid other teams and make a compelling case to keep her as the second fiddle, which may be tough considering all she has given to the franchise.

She endured four coaching changes in her first six seasons, and now she is going through a fifth with the same franchise. Mitchell has remained loyal to the Fever throughout it all, but without a good answer at head coach, she could be on the move this offseason.

2. Temi Fagbenle

Temi Fagbenle will be a restricted free agent this offseason, but it's hard to know how much of a commodity she will be. The Fever will have a chance to match whatever offer she receives from another team in order to resign her, but depending on who the coach is, Indiana may not feel it is necessary to do so.

Fagbenle had a bit of a resurgence in 2024, as she did not appear in a WNBA game at any point during the prior four seasons. She did, however, play the most minutes per game in her career, and as a result, had her best statistical outputs across the five major categories in her career in the W.

A new coach coming in, however, could let Fagbenle walk in free agency and look to sign a player who is a bit more dynamic and has more WNBA experience under her belt. Fagbenle has only played in 91 career games since being drafted in 2016, and Indiana needs experience next to Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, especially if someone like Kelsey Mitchell leaves.

It will be up to the new coach on if Fagbenle stays with the Fever next season, but I would not count on it. If she's back, it may be in a more limited role.

1. Erica Wheeler

Erica Wheeler is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. She's currently in her second stint with the Indiana Fever. She has been a bit of a traveler in her 10-year WNBA career, so it should not surprise anyone to see her on the move once again.

Wheeler played in 39 of the 40 contests this past season for the Fever but recorded her worst statistical outputs since her 2015 rookie season.

The 33-year old could be on the brink of retirement, or she could try to squeeze a year or two more out of her up-and-down career. Regardless, with a changing of the guard in Indiana, it is unlikely that a veteran player like this retains a roster spot.

Another team may want a veteran presence to coach some of the younger players from the side, but the Fever need a veteran impact on the court, especially someone who can bring it on the defensive side of the ball.

Wheeler's best days are behind her, and despite her solid contributions a season ago, she could be on the way out this offseason.