Kelsey Mitchell Credits Fever 'Family' for Return Decision
The Indiana Fever look to take last year's playoff run one step further this season. Their first order of business toward doing so was completed after they announced the re-signing of veteran guard and three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell on a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract.
Retaining Mitchell was crucial for their championship aspirations, but there was some concern within the fanbase that Mitchell may end up elsewhere given the balancing act of having multiple big contracts fit under the cap. Luckily, the Fever were able to punt further math problems down the line by coming to terms on the one-year deal, keeping the team's Big Three intact for at least one more season.
Mitchell is coming off her best year and that was without a healthy backcourt partner in Caitlin Clark. When playing together, Mitchell and Clark have combined for nearly 40 points per game for the Fever, creating a matchup nightmare for opponents in the process.
Kelsey Mitchell Praises Fever Family Vibes
The Fever began training camp with a fresh start. A team that was riddled with injuries last season, including to Mitchell during semifinal game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces, is pushing the chips all-in in a pursuit of a championship. But the journey to get to this point helped shape Mitchell's decision to return.
For the first time since the start of camp, Mitchell met with the media and touched on just how the team's tight-knit relationships played a role in her re-signing with the Fever, per a video from Tony East's YouTube account.
"I knew that I wanted to be a Fever girl again in a certain way. My relationships I've built with AB, CC, even like Lexie and Soph and all those guys, it was family vibes. So, I couldn't shake it and let it go," she said.
Mitchell made it clear that although she had the capability to look elsewhere as a free agent, Indiana is where she wanted to be.
"Me and CC talked a lot, me and AB talked a lot in Unrivaled, even Lexie. We knew we had to make it make sense, we knew we wanted to be together. That was the easy part. We talked about making sacrifices for each other, talked about being what we needed to be for each other," Mitchell added.
“Me and CC talked a lot, me and AB talked a lot in unrivaled, even Lexie. We knew we had to make it make sense, we knew we wanted to be together. That was the easy part. We talked about making sacrifices for each other, talked about being what we needed to be for each other.” pic.twitter.com/hRCuv3B4U4
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) April 20, 2026
It would be hard to picture a Fever team without a passionate, fiery Mitchell on the floor, especially knowing she has so much more left in the tank—even after emptying it on the floor for the team last year.
The good news is the Fever family is staying together for at least one more season, one where the championship goals are clear.
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Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.
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