Kelsey Mitchell Outlines Overhaul in Fever Franchise Amid Caitlin Clark 'Wave'

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell reflected on seeing one side of the Caitlin Clark Effect versus the other for her franchise.
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) reacts during a September 22, 2024 WNBA game.
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) reacts during a September 22, 2024 WNBA game. | IMAGO / Newscom World

Few people had a better vantage point of the Caitlin Clark Effect during the Indiana Fever's 2024 season than her backcourt partner in crime, Kelsey Mitchell.

Mitchell and Clark combined to create arguably the best guard duo during the second half of the 2024 regular season. And not only that, but Mitchell's stardom expanded massively as a result of playing (and succeeding) alongside the biggest star in women's basketball.

And during an April 11 interview on Uninterrupted's C-SUITE BALLERS podcast, Mitchell reflected on how Clark has turned the Fever franchise's fortunes around.

"Oh man, I think I've seen both sides of it," Mitchell said when asked if there's a moment that comes to mind when thinking about the growth of women's basketball. "Being on a team with Caitlin, and knowing that some of the stuff and the wave that she created for where the game is... I've seen so much of it. And so I think for me lately is the shift in moments in Indiana, as far as the arena, where we started."

She later added, "They've seen where Indiana was. And I think now, where it's at now, the big moment is seeing the shift, and being a part of it from the standpoint of I know where Indiana was. So to see the cultivation of it, you just grow to appreciate the process and the growth in which the game is going."

Given that Mitchell has been with the Fever since 2018, it must be staggering to witness all the changes Clark has brought to not only her franchise but to the entire sport.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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