Since Caitlin Clark came to Indiana, the Fever’s worth has increased from $90 million to $560 million. The attendance has rocketed, and three years later, the team ended up having all of their 44 games nationally televised. So when Caitlin Clark says she knows her worth, she knows the salary would be too little to prove it. 

The Fever exited in the first round for the second time in Clark’s era, and they are now more hard-pressed to give her a roster to win in the near future. Amid the offseason trade anxiety looming over their head, the Fever are also under pressure to give Clark the EPIC (exceptional performance on initial contract) extension. When asked about it, the Fever star appeared non-committal. 

“My focus is on winning. I certainly know what I deserve and what I’m worth, but at the same time you have to make sacrifices,” Clark told reporters in her exit interview. “I’m not saying I’m not going to sign it. And I’m not saying I am going to sign it. I haven’t got into those discussions. I haven’t even honestly given it much thought. I’ve been playing 18 holes every single day.”

The Indiana Fever star is set to earn $597,596 in the final year of her rookie contract that ends in 2027. However, she is eligible to sign the EPIC contract, which would end up paying her 17% of the Fever’s salary cap ($7 million) next year, per Indy Star. Her current contract will pay her 8.54% of the salary cap. 

However, Clark knows what signing that contract would mean. The Fever have not moved beyond the semifinals since she joined the Fever. After the first-round exit, there is no denying that the Fever need vital pieces around her if they want to win a championship, and it starts with Kelsey Mitchell. 

Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent, and the Fever would have to spend big numbers to bring her back. Signing Clark to an EPIC extension and giving Mitchell the money she truly deserves will tie Indiana’s hands, and they might not be able to sign the pieces they need to win a championship. 

“We obviously haven’t got into roster construction yet. So we have to think about things with the cap and what we’re going to need and who we’re going to need to sign and what value they bring to the team,” Clark added.

The Fever star has no intention of leaving Indiana. But perhaps bigger than those promises is her will to bring a championship to the city, at any cost.

“No matter what, I’m going to be here. I just want to do what’s best for the team and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships. Like, that’s my main goal,” the Fever star said.

The EPIC deal also has a condition that would help the Fever ‌keep Clark until 2030. However, it would mean that it could reach a super-max deal, meaning it would take up 20% of the salary cap. The Fever will be able to keep Clark, but perhaps not be happy because it will only reduce the Fever’s chance to sign championship-caliber players. Aliyah Boston has already signed a $6.3 million EPIC extension with the team.

Clark has had an amazing three-year stint with the Fever. The 2024 Rookie of the Year was All-WNBA First Team in her first year. She has been an All-Star in all three seasons, and chances are high that she will make her second All-WNBA First Team selection this year.

Every player on her rookie contract is eligible to renegotiate her salary in her fourth year if she has made an All-WNBA team selection. If a player on a rookie contract wins the MVP award, she is eligible for a Supermax extension.