What Will It Take for Caitlin Clark, Fever to Keep Kelsey Mitchell in Indy?

Clark was clear about wanting her backcourt partner to return next season, but a lot has to change in order to make that happen.

After Kelsey Mitchell told media she needed to be “selfish” in free agency talks this offseason, teammate Caitlin Clark talked about wanting the Fever to bring her back. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Caitlin Clark wants Kelsey Mitchell back in Indiana next season. She made that abundantly clear during Thursday’s exit interview. “There’s nobody I would want to share the backcourt with other than her,” Clark said. “I know this organization; we’re going to work our butt off to get her back.” But several complicating factors stand in the way of making that happen.

​Mitchell, who will be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, said she plans to be “selfish” in her approach after a record-breaking campaign with the Fever. She also reflected on the difficulty of playing in front of the additional eyeballs Clark brings, and the at-times hostile Indiana supporters. “Showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard,” Mitchell told the media during her exit interview. On the same day Mitchell offered an honest reflection on her experience in Indiana, Fever general manager Amber Cox defended the team’s fans, saying, “The attacks on our fanbase have no basis in reality, and they need to stop.”

To ensure Mitchell (drafted with the No. 2 pick by Indiana in 2018) stays with the Fever for life, the franchise must make Gainbridge Fieldhouse a safe environment for her and other players. A good first step is to take Mitchell’s (as well as other players’) words seriously and address the problem with its fanbase. The Fever may not have had a “fan pointed out by a player who violated the WNBA code of conduct this season,” as Cox said. Still, a corner of the team’s fanbase has been a breeding ground for racism and bigotry, and the front office needs to be honest about that problem and make plans to address it.

​“As far as people that have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric, or hate, or discrimination, that’s not something I stand for,” Clark said on Thursday. The rest of Indiana’s roster, as well as the front office, needs to pick up where Clark left off and overhaul its culture, making clear it’s not a home for divisive rhetoric or dogmatism. It can’t, in good conscience, try to entice Mitchell to return to Indiana without materially improving the conditions around the team.

Another issue to address is on the balance sheet. How will the Fever keep Aliyah Boston, Clark and Mitchell together? It will be a complicated and pricey endeavor if Indiana can pull it off. Boston signed a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension in 2026, and she will earn 20% of the cap in each season through 2029. Clark is also up for the EPIC (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) extension this offseason, while Mitchell could earn a supermax contract, with the Big Three potentially taking up more than half of the team’s cap space.

“I certainly know what I deserve and what I’m worth, but at the same time, sometimes you have to make sacrifices,” Clark said of her extension eligibility, adding that her focus is on winning. Will recruiting Mitchell mean Clark taking a pay cut? That will be one of many storylines to follow in Indianapolis this offseason. With so much up in the air, one thing is certain: Plenty has to change in Indiana for it to retain its constant in Mitchell.

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