Kelsey Mitchell’s ‘Flak’ Remark on Playing With Caitlin Clark Looms Over Fever Future

Kelsey Mitchell's Indiana Fever future could depend on weighing the good and bad of playing with Caitlin Clark.

Kelsey Mitchell 0 Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark 22 Indiana Fever high-five during a game. | IMAGO/Sports Press Photo

Kelsey Mitchell articulated the sometimes harsh reality of being an Indiana Fever player during her end-of-season exit interview on Saturday.

"If I showed y'all my DM's about the hate, and all of the stuff that comes with being a professional athlete—but specifically being an Indiana Fever basketball player—it's a lot that goes into that," Mitchell said.

Of course, the reason being a Fever player is so significant is because of Caitlin Clark, who has raised Indiana's profile to an unprecedented degree.

Mitchell made this clear when adding, "Showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard. Playing with CC and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team. And I think that comes with a lot, too.

"I just think that people gotta give us grace. I think this organization is unbelievable, but I think that when it comes to really trying to be yourself, it hasn't always been easy," she continued.

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Caitlin Clark Dichotomy Could Influence Kelsey Mitchell's Free Agency Decision

There are obviously a lot of benefits to playing alongside Caitlin Clark. On the court, she creates opportunities and makes her teammates better, which Mitchell benefits from more than anybody else (given the gravity Clark has and the attention she attracts).

Plus, Clark increases her teammates' off court profiles, which makes for potentially lucrative endorsement deals they probably would not have accessed otherwise.

But those heightened profiles also brings the downside of scrutiny, which is what Mitchell was alluding to with her "flak" comment.

Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and has already made it clear that she is going to be "selfish" when deciding where she wants to play next.

Her tolerance for this "flak" that comes with playing alongside Clark could factor into her decision. She has been on both sides of this coin, as the first six seasons of her career were on an essentially irrelevant Fever team. And she has spent three seasons with Clark on the roster.

Is this "flak" enough to persuade Mitchell to sign elsewhere, or do the positives of being in No. 22's orbit still outweigh the negatives? The answer is different for everyone. And Mitchell will need to think long and hard about this throughout the offseason.

Her eventual decision could shape whether or not she's wearing a Fever jersey next season.