Caitlin Clark Feverishly Commits to Future, Addresses ‘EPIC’ Contract Negotiations After WNBA Playoff Loss

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has affirmed her commitment to the organization as she becomes eligible for a massive extension this offseason.

The new collective bargaining agreement introduced the Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) provision, which allows some players to get a maximum offer a year early.

During her exit interview Thursday, Clark told reporters she’s undecided whether she’ll sign this winter under the EPIC provision, but that doesn’t reflect anything bigger about her views on Fever. His goal is to identify the best way to build a championship-caliber team in Indiana:

In the NBA, stars usually get a max rookie extension as soon as possible. Teams and players appreciate the long-term security and certainty it provides.

The situation is a little different in the WNBA because the strict salary cap forces general managers to be more careful with payroll.

Clark’s income for 2027 would nearly triple if she resigned now.

That’s almost a million dollars less than Fever would have to spend on the rest of the roster when big changes could be coming.

Four-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell could be out. She didn’t say outright that she intended to leave Indy after nine seasons, but she did say in her own exit interview that “I have to be selfish.”

Replacing Mitchell would be difficult when there aren’t many elite free agents on the market. This will be a problem even if the dynamic guard returns.

The Fever have two cornerstones in Clark and Aliyah Boston, who was the first player to sign the EPIC extension. Beyond that pair, general manager Amber Cox has a lot of work to do to identify additional pieces that can put Indiana over the top.

Clark appears to be aware of this challenge.