After reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season, the Indiana Fever are looking to clinch their second ever championship this year. With Caitlin Clark in her sophomore year, new head coach Stephanie White and young talents such as Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, the Fever can take advantage of the WNBA free agency period to build an even stronger team.
However, one of their priorities is to also convince Kelsey Mitchell, who has been a key part of the organization, to stay. The guard is set to become an unrestricted free agent, but the Fever have the chance to core her, and it’s expected that they will do so.
“Kelsey Mitchell is our top priority heading into free agency,” Fever GM Amber Cox said in November, according to IndyStar. “She, in my mind, is a cornerstone of this franchise. She’s been here for seven seasons, and she has, you know, endured a lot, hasn’t won a lot, so I really want her here to enjoy what is to come. She deserves that.”
The core designation will give Fever exclusive negotiating rights in exchange for a one-year supermax salary, which is around $249,000 for a one-year deal. If they core her, they theoretically prevent her from talking with other teams, but they could give her permission to talk and still retain her, or even negotiate a sign-and-trade.
Per IndyStar, Fever new president Kelly Krauskopf is confident Mitchell will stay. “I don’t think that there’s another team that she could go to that would maximize her skill set better. I mean, she had her best year in a backcourt with Caitlin Clark, and I think they were probably the most dynamic duo,” she told the publication.
What has Mitchell said about her future?
Mitchell is currently playing overseas, but she has opened up about her plans for the free agency, indicating that she is willing to hear offers. Back in September, she said that she was going to do “what’s best” for her.
“That is not hanging my hat on one team or another, but I think it’s specifically for me. I got to be selfish about that process,” she explained. However, she also said that, “Obviously, I’ve always had a home in Indy, so it could potentially be a home for me again.”
Mitchell and Clark had a great chemistry during the past season, and their connection was key for the Fever. If the team can retain her, and take advantage of the WNBA free agency to sign forwards, they can become one of the most threatening franchises of next season.