Home / Sports / Fever Brace for 2026 with Clark's Return & New Teams
Fever Brace for 2026 with Clark's Return & New Teams
4 Apr
Summary
- Caitlin Clark to return fully healthy for 2026 WNBA season.
- Two new expansion teams, Tempo and Fire, join the WNBA.
- Fever lose Chloe Bibby and Kristy Wallace in expansion draft.
The Indiana Fever, who finished the 2025 WNBA season with a 24-20 record and reached the semifinals, are gearing up for the 2026 season. A significant factor for their upcoming campaign will be the anticipated full return of star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark's 2025 season was limited to just 13 games due to recurring groin and ankle injuries. The Fever will open their 2026 season at home against the Dallas Wings on May 9.
The 2026 WNBA season marks an expansion, with two new teams joining the league: the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. These new franchises participated in an expansion draft on Friday, selecting players from the existing 13 teams. While existing teams could protect up to five players, they could lose no more than two. The Portland Fire selected former Fever forward Chloe Bibby, who played in the latter half of the 2025 season with Indiana. The Toronto Tempo drafted former Fever guard Kristy Wallace, who did not play in 2025. These selections mean the Fever will be without Bibby and Wallace for the upcoming season.
