After drafting Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever quickly became one of the most-watched WNBA teams. The Fever’s future also became clear quickly. Indiana would have to build a winning team around Clark and compete for a championship sooner rather than later. Preparing for that future, the Fever brought back Kelly Krauskopf, who had built the championship team around Tamika Catchings in 2012, and hired Stephanie White as the team’s new head coach.
Every move the Fever made after the 2024 season pointed in the same direction: the organization was getting ready to build a legitimate title contender. One thing remained uncertain for quite some time, however. Was Kelsey Mitchell a part of the Fever’s plans for the future?
Mitchell was one of the Fever’s top scorers and 3-point shooters in the 2024 season but will be a restricted free agent this offseason. The Fever could have decided to not re-sign her and save their money for one or two bigger stars. Stephanie White quickly laid those notions to rest when she spoke about the Fever’s big three and her plans for Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell at her introductory press conference.
While WNBA free agency does not start until February, the Fever have made their intentions to re-sign Mitchell very clear, and she is continuously proving that it was the right decision.
Kelsey Mitchell has been playing great in China
Mitchell quickly established herself as a great backcourt partner for Clark, especially offensively. Being able to play well with one of the brightest young stars in the game is always a valuable asset. But this offseason, Mitchell is reminding everyone who missed it during the WNBA season of her own special talent.
Mitchell is playing in China, putting up big numbers. In her most recent game, a 79-62 loss to Shanghai and Kamila Cardoso, Mitchell recorded 28 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Before that, she put up 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in a win over Zhejiang on Christmas Day.
Over 16 games, Mitchell has only scored less than 15 points twice, hit the thirty-point mark in two games, and is converting over 50 percent of her two-point attempts. She currently ranks second in scoring across the league, behind only Chennedy Carter.
Mitchell’s ability as a scorer has been on full display, proving the Fever are right to make her a priority this offseason. During the 2024 season, the Fever were one of the worst defensive teams in the league but ranked third in defensive rating during the regular season. They were relying heavily on outscoring opponents, and Mitchell was a big part of that.
Stephanie White just coached the Connecticut Sun to the best defensive rating in the league last season and should be able to help the Fever take the next step on that end of the court. It will take time, though. The Fever will still need to run a high-scoring offense. Keeping Mitchell around next to Clark and Boston makes that a lot easier.