Caitlin Clark’s third WNBA season ended on Oct. 1 with a first-round playoff loss to Las Vegas. Her biggest offseason decision might already be on the table.
During her exit interview with reporters last Thursday, the Indiana Fever star confirmed she is now eligible to sign a contract extension under the new collective bargaining agreement’s Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract provision — the EPIC clause designed to reward young stars still on their rookie deals. The provision lets her renegotiate the fourth year of her rookie contract and add a three-year extension on top of it.
The numbers are a different universe from a rookie-scale deal. Clark could sign for a projected max of $1.3 million in 2027 and a projected supermax of $1.7 million in 2028.
Clark admitted she has not given the decision much thought yet, calling it “a really cool opportunity” and a smart addition to the CBA that rewards young players on rookie contracts. And when she talked through who else qualifies, she brought up a familiar name: Angel Reese, her draft-class rival turned fellow extension candidate.
It is a useful snapshot of where the 2024 draft class stands. Three seasons in, Clark and Reese are the faces of the league’s next era — and now they are first in line for the biggest paydays the WNBA has ever offered its young stars.
Clark has earned the leverage. She finished fourth in this season’s MVP voting with 212 points, including one first-place vote, behind winner A’ja Wilson — who claimed a record fifth MVP and her third straight — runner-up Olivia Miles, and teammate Kelsey Mitchell. Clark set career highs across the board: 22.3 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting and 36.1 percent from three, plus 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.1 steals, while leading Indiana to a franchise-best 28 wins.
The Fever’s season ended with a 94-83 loss to the Aces in Game 3 of their first-round series. Clark used her exit interview to talk about growth, too — she pointed to leadership and her voice as a point guard as the areas she wants to sharpen most going into year four, and she spoke about bonding with the team’s younger players over the offseason.
Whether she signs the extension now or waits, the message from the league’s new CBA is clear: the bill is coming due for the Clark era, and Indiana will pay it gladly.
Sources: Athlon Sports (Oct 9, 2026) on EPIC provision and MVP voting.