Kelsey Mitchell Opens Up About Loyalty to Indiana Fever Ahead of Free Agency

The spotlight being on the Indiana Fever has been a long time coming for Kelsey Mitchell.

Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) dribbles against the Golden State Valkyries during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Eight-year WNBA veteran Kelsey Mitchell has been the heart and soul of the Indiana Fever since her arrival in 2018. But with her long tenure in Indianapolis has come many ups and downs. And it's clear going through tough times has made these last two seasons even more meaningful for the three-time All-Star.

On an episode of the Aari and Rachel Unfiltered at Unrivaled podcast, which is co-hosted by teammate Aari McDonald, Mitchell sat alongside Aliyah Boston and the pair reflected on their time as members of the Fever.

Of course, recent years have been a stark contrast to the struggles the franchise endured during Mitchell's early career. And since the team drafted Boston first overall in 2023 and added Caitlin Clark at the same spot in 2024, progress has taken a sharp turn upward. Mitchell is keenly aware of the difference the youth movement made for the squad.

"The age gap is big for me. Believe it or not, I do think that AB and Caitlin are in a different era. The way in which basketball is even constructed now, I'm like wow, it is vastly different in a good way," Mitchell said.

Kelsey is thankful for the young bucks on the Fever and her last two years at the Fever “put us on top”. Kelsey’s career with Indy hasn’t been easy and she says “having a good team effing matters” pic.twitter.com/VS6ftNXYiU

— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) February 6, 2026

"The young bucks put us on top," she added.

Kelsey Mitchell's Loyalty to Indiana Has Paid off

Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston (7), Caitlin Clark (22) and Kelsey Mitchell (0) take a phot before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Mitchell may be the longest tenured member of the Fever, the spotlight Clark in particular has brought has allowed more fans to be exposed to the brilliance of her game than was the case prior. Mitchell has met the moment, including putting up an MVP-caliber season in 2025 in leading an injury depleted Indiana team.

The talent of the current team and the attention on the Fever is not lost on Mitchell given the lean years she experienced. She explained how it was difficult to be recognized during those times and that Indiana wasn't exactly a destination franchise for her WNBA peers.

"When it was bad, I didn't really have anyone knocking on my door," she said.

Mitchell went on to describe the less than stellar atmosphere in some of the venues the Fever played in and how poorly attended the games were before sharing some insight into the loyalty it took for her to push through the struggles.

"Being loyal has a cost and we all know that. Being loyal isn't always ideal, but when I think back on it, it was worth it. We'll see, to be determined."

Mitchell's career continuing in Indiana is still to be determined. Once a new CBA is agreed upon, she like many other players across the league will enter free agency.

The Fever have made it clear that keeping their star shooting guard is a top priority, and it certainly seems like her loyalty paying off has Mitchell leaning toward staying where she's been her entire career.