"I got to be selfish"- Kelsey Mitchell gets candid on free agency plans and reunion with Caitlin Clark and Fever next season (PO)

It was a historic season for the Indiana Fever with Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston leading the franchise to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Fever fans were treated to some tremendous high-level basketball but there are no guarantees the team’s core will remain intact for next season.

Kelsey Mitchell, one of the league’s most effective scorers, is a free agent this summer. Speaking to the Indiana Star’s Chloe Peterson, Mitchell opened up about free agency, her future with the Fever and where she sees herself playing ball next season. While the two-time WNBA All-Star has close ties to the state of Indiana, she refused to commit her future to the organization at this stage of the offseason:

“I think everything for me is so fresh that I don’t know what I what I need and what I’m going to do,” Mitchell said.
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“Obviously, I’ve always had a home in Indy, so it could potentially be a home for me again, but I think right now…I got to do what’s best for me. That’s no hanging my hat on one team or another, but I think it’s specifically for me. I got to be selfish about that process,” she added.
Mitchell was drafted by the Fever with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft out of Ohio State. Over seven seasons in Indianapolis, the talented shooting guard has racked up an incredible 3,923 points, 649 assists and 472 rebounds over 233 games.

After coming off one of the best seasons of her career, contract negotiations will likely not be simple. Mitchell earned $212,000 last year and the Fever has the option to “core” her, meaning it would retain her for another year and would subsequently have to pay her the league maximum which was $241,984 in 2024.

The way WNBA free agency works, teams can only sign players on Feb. 1, which means Mitchell’s contract talks will possibly continue for a few more months.

Coach Christie Sides talks up Kelsey Mitchell’s impact on Indiana Fever

Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides and guard Kelsey Mitchell (Image Sorce: IMAGN)
Mitchell’s potential departure would have a major impact on an Indiana Fever side that has developed great chemistry and was one of the hottest teams in the league over the second half of the season. Indiana started with a 1-8 record in May. Since June 14, however, Christie Sides’ team had a 16-10 record.

Sides talked up Mitchell’s influence and her development as a player over the last few seasons (via IndyStar.com):

“Kelsey Mitchell is one of the keys for us to get to the level that Lin is talking about, you know, playing for championships…Her growth over the last couple years on the basketball court, on both ends of the floor has just been incredible,” Sides said.

This season, Mitchell averaged 19.2 points per game and became just the 10th player in league history to record over 750 points in a season. She ranks second all-time in points for the Fever franchise behind only Tamika Catchings.