Kelsey Mitchell Stresses ‘Selfish’ Mindset With Fever Future in Question
Indiana Fever superstar guard Kelsey Mitchell will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. She's also not core eligible for the first time in her career, which will make it a truly open market for her.
Mitchell spoke with the media on Saturday and sent a very clear message about her mindset as she enters free agency.
“I think I have to be selfish. I think that’s where I am in my career, about what I probably need and what's probably best for me," Mitchell said about her future, per a YouTube video from the Fever.
"But I think being on the Fever and being a part of the organization does come with a lot of ups and downs. What factors in as what's important for me, is having good chemistry on and off the floor. And I've only been with one team my entire career, so figuring this out is hard," she added.
"I've got to be selfish where my career is going, in terms of what's important to me. Whether it be winning, whether it be my own individual success. I worked my tail off to be here, so whatever I do, it's gonna come from a selfish standpoint. I'll be honest about that," Mitchell continued.
Mitchell has plenty of time to figure out which direction she wants to go in, and she conveyed that she hasn't given her current situation a ton of thought because she was so focused on winning this season, which came to a bitter end just two days ago.
But hearing her emphasize being "selfish" this offseason isn't necessarily the word Fever fans probably want to hear. It definitely doesn't sound like Indiana is going to get a discount when convincing Mitchell to return.
Fever GM Amber Cox Reasserts 'Priority' of Bringing Kelsey Mitchell Back
Fever GM Amber Cox also spoke with the media and was very clear about her intention of re-signing the 30-year-old Mitchell.
"I mean, Kelsey is obviously a major priority. She has a lot of equity in this franchise and has put in a lot of time. And I think you can see, and feel, and hear the love that this fan base has for her. And that permeates throughout this entire organization," Cox said.
She then praised the season Mitchell had this season, noting her pairing alongside Caitlin Clark.
"We hope we have the opportunity to build upon that [Mitchell and Clark pairing]. I mean, Kelsey has the opportunity and has earned the right to explore what other opportunities [are] out there. But our goal is for her to be a Fever girl for the rest of her career, and to retire with the Indiana Fever. That's what we want and we hope to get to that place," Cox added.
Cox has said that keeping Mitchell around is a priority in the past, and it makes all the sense in the world for the franchise to want her back, given how fantastic she has been.
But the choice will ultimately be up to Mitchell. It sounds quite clear that she wants to at least see what's out there on the open market for her. Perhaps that means returning to Indiana, and perhaps that means taking her talents elsewhere as she embarks on the latter half of her career.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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