Why Fever Must Keep Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell Backcourt Intact
The Indiana Fever have a strong foundation in place ahead of a highly condensed WNBA offseason.
Indiana is the only team across the league with two All-WNBA players under contract for 2026, as both point guard Caitlin Clark and center Aliyah Boston remain on rookie-scale contracts. With the majority of the WNBA's stars on expiring deals, the Fever have a level of security that most teams can't match as an expansive free-agent period approaches.
But while Indiana's pick-and-roll tandem is all but guaranteed to hit the floor in May, the future of the Fever's star-studded backcourt duo is less certain.
Kelsey Mitchell is one of seven Fever players from 2025 who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the 30-year-old is a prime candidate to receive a $1.4 million supermax contract under the WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Don't be surprised if Mitchell is Indiana's first order of business.
With Clark sidelined for most of the 2025 season, Mitchell powered Indiana to the third-best offense in the league, posting a career-best 20.2 points per game. She finished third league-wide in scoring and fifth in MVP voting.
She took it up a notch in the postseason, trailing only Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson -- who ultimately took home the 2025 WBNA Finals MVP -- in playoff scoring. Mitchell poured in 22.3 points per game across eight contests as a shorthanded Fever squad battled its way to a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA Semifinals.
Kelz, your flowers 💐
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) October 10, 2025
a historic year 8 for Kelsey Mitchell included being an MVP Finalist, All-WNBA First Team, WNBA All-Star, leading the league in 3PM (111), finishing second in total points scored (890), and averaging a career-best & franchise record 20.2 PPG. pic.twitter.com/iZH5EQN17F
Indiana could reach new heights in 2026 with a full season of Clark, but it won't pack the same punch if Mitchell doesn't return for her ninth season as the franchise's longest-tenured active player.
In theory, a team might have reservations about pairing two ball-dominant, high-volume scoring guards. But in the case of Clark and Mitchell, the metrics indicate the duo is more than compatible.
In 13 games together in 2025, Clark and Mitchell led all qualified Fever two-player lineups with a 110.9 offensive rating, even besting the 110.8 mark set by the Clark and Boston tandem. Among two-player lineups league-wide with at least 300 minutes together, Clark and Mitchell ranked 13th in offensive rating.
They were similarly effective during Clark's rookie campaign in 2024. Clark and Mitchell led the team with 62.7 points per game in over 1100 minutes together, once again narrowly edging the Clark-Boston tandem (61.5).
Clark and Boston deservedly get their flowers as a seamless pairing, their complementary skill sets maximizing each other's strengths. But don't overlook how integral Mitchell is to Indiana's offense.
The Caitlin Clark vs Kelsey Mitchell discourse reminds me of the Jayson Tatum vs Jaylen Brown stuff
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 23, 2025
You have two of the league’s best players — you keep them both for as long as you can and that’s it
Should Mitchell return to Indiana for 2026, the Fever will have two elite guards that can shoulder an offense singlehandedly, allowing for more flexible rotations and a full-throttle offensive attack. That's not a luxury every team in the WNBA will have.
Fever Must Walk Tightrope With WNBA Salary Cap
Keeping Clark, Boston, and Mitchell long-term seems like a no-brainer for the Fever, though the WNBA salary cap could force general manager Amber Cox to get creative with roster construction.
Clark and Boston are both due for sizable raises in 2026 -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg. After being named to the 2025 All-WNBA Second Team, Boston is immediately eligible for a $1.19 million three-year max contract under the new CBA. Clark will be eligible for a projected $1.3 million max contract in 2027.
Combine that with a $1.4 million supermax for Mitchell, and the Fever could have nearly $4 million committed to just three players by 2027. Even though the WNBA's $7 million salary cap is expected to rise in future seasons, Indiana may have trouble surrounding its three stars with quality depth.
Granted, the Fever could punt a long-term decision on Mitchell to the 2026-27 offseason, as ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Ryan Ruocco explained Wednesday on The Robin Lundberg Show.
"It's my understanding, for this year, the core exists as it did in the past," said Ruocco. "It changes next year. The core is not as sweeping a tool starting next year."
That means Indiana could tag Mitchell with a core designation this offseason, allowing the Fever to retain exclusive negotiation rights and offer a one-year qualifying supermax contract.
That's likely the most optimal path forward for Indiana to preserve roster flexibility, though a long-term commitment to Mitchell this offseason deserves serious consideration. Indiana is best served to capitalize on its current championship window before Clark and Boston reach supermax eligibility.
The Fever are at their most dangerous with the Clark-Mitchell backcourt intact. That's worth preserving, even if it comes at the expense of other key players.
WNBA free agency begins shortly after the April 3 expansion draft, starting with qualifying offers and core designations. Negotiations officially kick off on April 9, with players able to sign formal deals on April 12.
Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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