Kelsey Mitchell signs new deal, returns to Fever for 8th season
The Fever return the core of Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston after they were able to use the core designation on the veteran guard. Now the focus is on size, experience, and depth.
The Indiana Fever issued a core qualifying offer to veteran Kelsey Mitchell on January 16. Since then, it’s been quiet — on all fronts.
That changed at 11 a.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 29) when the team announced that they had reached agreement on a new contract with their All-Star guard. It’s a one-year supermax contract worth about $250,000.
Mitchell returned to Indianapolis (from China) to finalize the deal, which was signed Wednesday morning.
Given that the players opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on Oct. 21 for after the upcoming 2025 season, you’re going to see most free agents sign one-year deals. The players are seeking upgrades across the league as well as their fair share of the new television deal that starts at $200 million per season beginning in 2026.
Going into the offseason, the Fever made it abundantly clear that re-signing Mitchell was their No. 1 priority. From new team president Kelly Krauskopf on down, they recognized and appreciated Mitchell’s value to the team and wished for the partnership to continue.
Mitchell, 29, and Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark led the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game. And they played in all 40 games.
“You can watch games from last year and see that the backcourt of her and Clark are about as good as you can get in league,” Krauskopf told Fieldhouse Files after returning to her post as architect of the team.
When the team announced plans to build a state-of-the-art practice center less than two weeks ago, it was notable how the renderings included photos of Mitchell, Clark, and Aliyah Boston on the front.
“Kelsey has been a foundation of our franchise for many years, and we are thrilled to see her return to the Fever,” Krauskopf said in a statement. “We value Kelsey’s commitment to our organization, and we’re excited to see her build off a phenomenal 2024, her best season yet. She is one of the best guards in this league and is a cornerstone to building a championship roster.”
This was the most likely outcome — for the Fever’s partnership with Mitchell to continue. They could (and did) use the core designation, which is like the NFL’s franchise tag that you’re likely familiar with. In doing so, the Fever had exclusive negotiating rights.
However, the team didn’t assume anything. They wanted Mitchell back, but they wanted for it to be a two-way relationship. They wanted to meet with her overseas to understand exactly how she felt. It was Krauskopf who drafted Mitchell in 2018.
In the offseason, they also hired Stephanie White as head coach to replace Christie Sides one month after their first-round exit in the postseason.
"I'm thrilled that Kelsey is returning to Fever,” White said. “She has been an integral part of this franchise from the moment she was drafted. I have watched her journey from the sideline since her time in college and have always admired her work ethic, approach to the game and the way she interacts with her teammates. I can't wait to work with her on a daily basis."
Mitchell’s Last Season
It was memorable. It was emotional. It was trying.
Mitchell’s father passed less than a year ago, right before the season. They were very close so it was a lot of her to overcome. It was a lot to process because she relied on him for a lot.
“Not having that voice, not having that sense of connection, physically, indoor, psychologically, mentally, etc,” she acknowledged, “that was tough. And so I had a village of other 11 ladies that will meet in a lot of places I didn't think I was capable of going. But it was definitely a paramount year for me on so many different levels.”
The Ohio native appreciates being close to home, perhaps even more so now. During the Olympic break, most of the players appreciated the physical break in action. Mitchell, however, expressed that she needed it for the mental break.
The Fever players and staff uniquely know what the past season felt like. It was a pressure cooker and for the players, especially Clark, everything they did was in the spotlight. That was unlike anything they had experienced before.
In previous seasons, they were lucky to get 4,000 fans in the stands. There were inflatable stations for kids at one baseline of the arena.
Then this past year: every game was an event. Every game was sold out. And all but two appeared on national TV.
“I think what was most glaring is, for one, the amount of eyes that was gained through this process,” Mitchell said during her exit interview. “For seeing us play and see us represent what is the game. And then on the flip side, I think it was an (eye opening) for what 2024 was like being in this world and being an athlete.”
By early September, with several weeks in the season left, the Fever had clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Since Tamika Catchings retired.
There had been many low — very low — moments experienced before then and Mitchell was around for almost all of them. “It's a really big moment in our locker room and organization, the aroma in the room right now is really, really high.
“I'm very grateful, I'm very humbled,” she said, reflecting back on her experience. “I mean, I never thought I would get here. I've seen a lot of lows, obviously, but I look back on it now and I think it was worth it.
“I think that the work that I put in individually and then the organization of being here for these seven years, I think, I hope that it was gonna come to a point where I'd be here, so I'm excited.”
Now, Moving Forward
White and the front office have a lot to do.
They have Clark, Boston, and Mitchell. That’s the core. They’re actively working the phones on potential trade deals. There was serious considerations given to working with the expansion team in Golden State on a deal, but ultimately the Valkyries elected not to before the expansion draft.
The Fever, who went 20-20 last season, have a max contract slot, and they now need to upgrade the roster with more size, agility, and experience.
And beyond that, they are focused on the present. They understand the blessing they have in Clark, even more so while she’s still on a rookie deal. They are going to maximize every single year with Clark is under contract.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the franchise.
“Building quality depth is gonna be important,” White said at her introductory press conference. “When you have a core three like we have, surrounding them with players who are going to fill the roles, certainly, first and foremost, who are gonna embrace the roles, secondly, and who give us the best opportunities for success by complementing what they do really, really well.
“When you're building teams, it's not about always just getting the best players. It's about getting the best complement of players who fit well together, who play well with one another, who work to bring the best out of one another.
“Now, I believe truly in my heart that connected teams are winning teams. And so people who fit, players who fit the culture of the Indiana Fever and where we are and where we're moving towards.”
Elsewhere in the league, we’ve already seen Brittney Griner move on to Atlanta, Phoenix acquire Alyssa Thomas from Connecticut, plus a three-team deal that sent Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas, Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles, and picks to Seattle.
Also of note: Fever’s 2024 second-round pick Celeste Taylor signed a training camp contract to continue with the Mercury.
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