INDIANAPOLIS —  For Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn, the market has been calm ahead of Tuesday’s WNBA trade deadline.

“It’s been awfully quiet,” Dunn told IndyStar on Wednesday. “I’ve had a few phone calls, I’ve made a few phone calls, but what I think people don’t understand, in particular the fans, is that with a hard salary cap, it’s very difficult to maneuver and make trades, you know, realistic, substantial trades, because you’re limited with your salary cap and your roster spots. So I don’t anticipate there being any blockbuster trades.”

Making substantial trades is significantly more difficult in the WNBA than it is in other major professional leagues like the NBA or MLB, because of the WNBA’s hard cap. 

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The hard cap for the 2024 season is $1,463,200, and that accounts for all 12 players plus possible dead cap money from releasing players under protected contracts. That small cap is why there are very few blockbuster trades in the WNBA — teams will usually swap a bench player for another bench player with a similar salary, like how the Fever traded Queen Egbo for Amanda Zahui B. last season.

The only major trade in the WNBA this season happened before the Olympic break, as the Sky sent Marina Mabrey (on a $200,000+ contract) to Connecticut in exchange for Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson. That trade only came about, though, because Mabrey requested a trade from the Sky. 

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At this point in the season, too, all players’ salaries are fully guaranteed for the rest of the year. So, even if a player on an unprotected contract were to be released, they would still be owed their salary for the rest of the season.

While trades may be more complicated, teams can still acquire players who have not yet played for a WNBA team this season under a prorated contract — something the Fever could possibly afford.

The Fever’s cap allocations currently stand at $1,396,695, per Spotrac, and that includes dead cap hits of $85,000 for Victoria Vivians’ buyout and $29,962 for the rest of Celeste Taylor’s contract this season. That leaves $66,505 of cap room for the Fever to potentially sign a player for the final stretch of the season. 

But, when it comes to players who would make a true difference for the Fever, there are few to choose from. Indiana would likely be looking for a wing — someone who can play the 2, 3, and 4, score efficiently, and have a good defensive mind.

To join the Fever at this point in the year, a player would likely need to have been waived by a different team already or not played in the WNBA this season.

There are three international players with ample WNBA experience that have not yet played in the league this year, opting to train with their country’s teams in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now that the Olympics are over, those players — Belgian center Emma Meesseman and French guards Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes — are able to return to the WNBA.

Johannes is a restricted free agent with New York, meaning the Liberty have the exclusive rights to negotiate with her for the rest of the season. Williams and Meesseman are unrestricted free agents, meaning they can sign with whichever team they want, if they decide to come back to the WNBA this season at all.

“It seems like there’s definitely interest in all three of them, but I don’t know that any of the three have even decided if they want to come back,” Dunn said. “They missed the first part of the season to train. Now, they’ve gone through the Olympics. They’re tired, and if they come back, it’ll be a lot of money. There’s not a lot of money to give anybody.”

Between the two unrestricted free agents, the Fever would probably target Williams, a five-year veteran who is a versatile and defensive-minded wing. Her Hoop Stats reported the lowest a player with 3+ years of service can sign for is $27,280 — well under the Fever’s available cap space. But a player of Williams’ caliber, especially after shining during the Olympics, will likely require more than the prorated minimum.

The Fever could also make an effort to contact guard Odyssey Sims, a nine-year WNBA veteran who was excellent in 11 games for the Dallas Wings this season. Despite being on a hardship contract because of injuries within the Wings’ roster, Sims started multiple games for Dallas, averaging 33.9 minutes, 17.2 points, and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Dallas had to release Sims as its players returned from injury, and because of WNBA rules, it cannot re-sign her for at least 10 days. The Wings are also over the cap, so they would need to trade a player in order to re-sign Sims — opening a window for other franchises, including the Fever, to make an offer to the 32-year-old guard.

Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The tight end position was not productive for Indiana during the 2023 season.

Trey Walker led the group with 10 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, followed by Bradley Archer and James Bomba with just six catches apiece and Aaron Steinfeldt with one reception. That put each of them outside the top 200 nationally in receiving yards among tight ends. They served an important role as blockers, but Indiana dipped into the transfer portal for a more proven pass-catching tight end.

New head coach Curt Cignetti addressed that by adding James Madison transfer Zach Horton, one of 48 players named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.

There hasn’t been as much personnel turnover in the tight ends room compared to other positions on Indiana’s roster. The group is now coached by Grant Cain, the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at James Madison since 2019.

Here’s a full breakdown of Indiana’s tight ends heading into the 2024 season.

Personnel

Top expected contributors: Zach Horton, Trey Walker, James Bomba

Notable departures from 2023 roster: Bradley Archer, Aaron Steinfeldt

Transfer infusion

Horton is the most proven receiver among Indiana tight ends by a wide margin. Starting all 13 games at James Madison in 2023, he hauled in 27 receptions for 275 yards. Horton was a trusted red zone target for the Dukes, ranking sixth nationally among tight ends with six touchdown receptions. That production earned him a spot on the first-team All-Sun Belt. 

Horton said during spring practices that his goals in 2024 are to learn more about the opposing defensive coverages and be a vocal leader. Though he’s at a different school, Horton is excited for another year in Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s offense.

“They’re really good at finding the mismatches, seeing what the defense is going to do and what their habits are and really attacking that weak area,” Horton said. “I also like how they put athletes in space. They want to get athletes the ball and allow them to work. They’re really smart but also really fundamental.”

Horton made an impact as soon as he joined James Madison in 2021, appearing in eight games as a true freshman. Then as a sophomore in 2022, he caught 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He figures to be Indiana’s go-to receiver among tight ends, but he also embraces the blocking responsibilities required at his position.

“Cig’s big on if you block, you’ll get the rock type of motto,” Horton said. “I believe my sophomore and junior year I blocked a lot, and I love it.”

Returning Hoosiers

Indiana returns four tight ends from its 2023 roster: Walker, Bomba, Brody Foley and Sam West. Walker and Bomba, former walk-ons who are now on scholarship, each played over 250 snaps last season. 

They were mostly used as blocking tight ends, combining for just 16 receptions, and they figure to serve a similar role in 2024 after the addition of Horton. It will be important for Walker and Bomba to improve as blockers this season. In 2023, Walker (50.3) and Bomba (52.9) each had below-average run-blocking grades, per PFF.

Foley primarily played special teams last season, but he and West also saw a few snaps on offense. Along with true freshman Brody Kosin, their path to playing time could be difficult behind Horton, Walker and Bomba. 

The bottom line

Indiana upgraded its tight end room with the addition of Horton, who was a reliable and productive receiver with just one drop last season. But the rest of the group either needs to improve or is unproven at the college level, making depth a concern for this position.