Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell talks about her future as she enters free agency

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has opened up about her upcoming plans, as she is an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason. While the 28-year-old hasn’t made any decisions yet, she told Chloe Peterson from IndyStar that she was going to be “selfish.”

Mitchell, 28, has spent her entire seven-year WNBA career with the Fever. This year, she had one of her best seasons, averaging 19.2 points per game and being named an All-Star for a second consecutive season. She finished this season with 767 points, only behind Caitlin Clark (769).

“I think everything for me is so fresh that I don’t know what I need and what I’m going to do, but I know that when time comes and the opportunity is right for me, I’ll make those decisions,” Mitchell told Peterson. “Obviously, I’ve always had a home in Indy, so it could potentially be a home for me again, but I think right now, the switching dynamic of my family and everything, I gotta do what’s best for me. That’s 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.“

Mitchell had to go through the painful loss of her dad Mark, who died unexpectedly in March at 56. She was very close to him, as he coached her throughout her childhood and college years. So, she has been visiting her family in Cincinnati as much as possible, which could be a factor to her decision.

She recently made an emotional Instagram post, which was filled with love by Clark and her teammates, celebrating the Fever’s historic season, writing in the caption: “I got low. Shedded tears nobody saw. Got my back dirty just to make it. Threw all my cards on the table. Trusted GOD to save myself. Guaranteed my best. Willing and able, forever dying on my own sword.”

Can the Indiana Fever protect Mitchell?

Mitchell is now eligible to be cored by the Fever, a designation similar to the NFL’s franchise tag. WNBA teams can core one unrestricted free agent per offseason, but a player can only be cored for a maximum of two seasons. Since Mitchell agreed to an extension in 2021, she has never been cored.

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Caitlin Clark shows support for Kelsey Mitchell as she enters free agency

She signed a three-year extension in 2021 worth $618,000, which expired at the end of the 2024 season. The window for the Fever to sign another extension closed on Sept. 19, the final day of the regular season.