3 players Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever should target with $117,000 cap space after cutting Katie Lou Samuelson

Caitlin Clark was a revelation for the Indiana Fever last season, running away with Rookie of the Year honors. The Fever have been busy this offseason as they try to improve their roster around Clark.

The Fever have added DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard while retaining All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell, but they aren't done building around Clark yet. The team recently cut Katie Lou Samuelson, opening up $117,000 in cap space.

With Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston still on their rookie deals, adding another proven player would position the Fever to improve on a promising season. Surveying the WNBA free agency landscape, here are a few names that the Fever could target.

#1 Erica Wheeler (guard)

Wheeler has been with the Indiana Fever since 2023, but she played a rotational role off the bench last season, spelling Clark and Mitchel when they rested. She is not expected to play a big role moving forward, but bringing her back helps the Indiana Fever maintain continuity and chemistry.

Wheeler brings veteran experience alongside Mitchell and Natasha Howard and would continue to mentor Clark. One of the issues for the Fever last season was a lack of maturity and intensity, especially in their playoff series against the Connecticut Sun. Retaining Wheeler would help them remedy that problem.

#2 Isabelle Harrison (forward)

Harrison is expecting a larger contract than the Fever can offer her, but the fact that she remains unsigned could hint that her expectations may be too high. She is a great fit on the Fever, helping to shore up their front line, one of the weaker parts of the team last season.

Adding Isabelle Harrison would give the Fever four players over 6-foot-2, allowing them to always have an interior presence on the court. Harrison's free throw shooting is another plus, providing a steady hand at the line at the end of close games when teams deny Clark the ball.

#3 Mercedes Russell (center)

In the same vein as Harrison, Russell brings size and defense to the Fever frontcourt, standing at 6-foot-6. Adding Russell means that DeWanna Bonner and Aliyah Boston can more comfortably play the power forward position, stretching the floor for the Fever's offense.

Caitlin Clark was hounded because of the team's poor shooting last season, but adding Russell gives her another excellent screen-setter and roller to the rim in pick-and-roll situations, as well as bigger driving lanes. At this point, the Fever are searching for one last contributor to provide them with rebounding and efficiency in decreased minutes, both of which Russell can provide.

The Fever are well-positioned to contend, and adding one more significant free agent could put Caitlin Clark and Co. over the top.