The Indiana Fever will need to make some changes to their roster if they want to compete for a WNBA championship next season.
One potential target for them is playing in the WNBA Finals right now.
Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere could be a compelling player for the Fever to pursue when she enters free agency this offseason.
She is currently a restricted free agent, which means that Valkyries can match whatever free agency offers she receives from another team. But that shouldn't stop the Fever from at least making an offer.
Chicago Sky guard Gabriela Jaquez (11) shoots the ball against Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere (3). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Amihere's stats don't necessarily jump off the page (she averaged 3.9 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game during the 2026 regular season). But she's an athletic forward who can also play center, run the floor, and do several things that the Fever will need more of if they're to improve next season.
One of these is playing quality defense. After the Valkyries' Game 1 WNBA Finals win against the Atlanta Dream, Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase praised Amihere's defense against Angel Reese , who was held scoreless in the game's second half.
"I thought [Amihere] did a fantastic job with that matchup [on Angel]. LA had great energy; again, she was kind of our insight with this game plan, and so you could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup. [Amihere] was really key tonight for our success," Nakase said.
Amihere's impact doesn't always show up in her stat line. She's an elite defender and a rim protector, which Indiana could really use from a backup center.
The Fever's starting center, Aliyah Boston, made huge strides with her three-point shooting this season, which was critical in maximizing her efficiency within Indiana's offense.
Amihere shot 41.2% from three-point range this season. It was on limited attempts (she took 0.4 three-pointers per game), but that percentage shows she is more than comfortable taking the shot when it's available. And she can follow the blueprint Indiana has for Boston to get her taking more three-pointers, which could further increase her offensive value.
Perhaps most important of all is that Amihere will be affordable. She made $277,500 with Golden State this season and likely wouldn't require much more in free agency this upcoming offseason. Therefore, signing her would still provide the Fever with enough cap space to also re-sign Kelsey Mitchell or make other additions to the roster.
Amihere isn't perfect and won't solve all the Fever's issues. But she's an affordable player with potentially high upside who could fit Indiana's needs and offensive scheme as a backup to Aliyah Boston.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/wnba/fever as Indiana Fever Could Target WNBA Finals Standout in Free Agency .
