Indianapolis — indiana feverLast season’s goal was to advance to the playoffs.
Following Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, they more than achieved that goal, earning a No. 6 seed in the eight-team playoffs and achieving a .500 record for the first time since 2016. Now, after making the postseason for the first time in eight years, they have set their sights higher.
“We want to play for a championship,” Fever general manager Lin Dunn said. “So to see this team go from five wins to 13 to 20 (wins) in three years and to see the fans hanging from the rafters, and I average “Hanging from the rafters, sold out stadiums, not just at home but also on the road means the world to me.”
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There is optimism about the future of the franchise. And they want Mitchell included in that future.
“She’s been an integral part of this and we want her here,” coach Christy Sides said. “Here she is, to me, a Hall of Fame player.”
Mitchell, 28, spent her entire seven-year WNBA career with the Fever. She was someone who saw the highs and lows, multiple coaching changes, losing seasons and the fight to get back to the playoffs. And she remained consistent through it all.
Mitchell has been the Fever’s leading scorer for all but two seasons. She was Indiana’s second-leading scorer as a rookie in 2018 and had 767 regular season points this year, tying Clark’s 769. She is a consistent scorer and the veteran presence the Fever needs.
“Kelsey Mitchell is one of the keys to getting to that championship-winning level that Lin talks about,” Sides said. “She’s that important. Her growth over the past few years, both on and off the basketball court, has been incredible.”
Mitchell has been through a lot in 2024. Her father, Mark, passed away suddenly in March at the age of 56. She was very close to him, and Mark was her coach throughout her childhood and college years at Ohio State. Her father was always the one to talk about basketball, whether she was playing good or bad.
After his father passed away, Mitchell returned to his hometown of Cincinnati to visit his mother as much as possible during training camp and the regular season. Cincinnati is just a two-hour drive from Indianapolis. This means Mitchell can be driven frequently for a day trip or quick overnight visit.
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“My dad prepared me for every step,” Mitchell said last June. “I can walk into any mood, any situation and smell the fresh air. That’s because of my father. Whatever you throw at me, I will get back up.”
Mitchell had the best year of his career in 2024. An All-Star for two consecutive seasons, she has recorded seven straight 20+ scoring games since the Olympic break this season, averaging 19.2 points. per game.
She is an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason. Mitchell negotiated a three-year contract extension worth $618,000 total for 2021, which expires after the 2024 season. It’s past time for the Fever and Mitchell to sign another contract extension. It had to be completed by September 19th, the last day of the regular season.
Now, with free agency a possibility, Mitchell said he has to make the best decision for himself.
“For me, everything is so fresh that I don’t know what I need or what I need to do, but I know that when the time comes and the opportunity is right for me, I will make those decisions,” Mitchell said. “Obviously I’ve always had a home in Indy, so it could be a home for me again, but right now, I feel like I have to do what’s best for me because the dynamics of my family and everything are changing. That’s not the case with one team or “I’m hanging my hat on other teams, but I think we have to be selfish about the process.”
Currently, she doesn’t know how that process will work. WNBA free agency doesn’t officially begin until January, when teams can contact and negotiate with players.
Mitchell could also become a key piece for the Fever, similar to a franchise tag in the NFL. WNBA teams may have one outgoing unrestricted free agent as a core per offseason cycle, but a player may not serve as a core for more than two total seasons. Mitchell has never been cored because he agreed to a contract extension for 2021.
“We’re always talking about the future,” Dunn said of Mitchell’s contract ahead of the Fever’s second playoff game. “We’re always talking about who we should keep, what contracts we should negotiate. Of course, it’s ongoing.”
By coring Mitchell, the Fever automatically agree to give her a one-year supermax contract worth $241,984 in 2024, according to Her Hoop Stats. Mitchell and the Fever could negotiate longer contracts or different salaries outside of the core positions, but it gives the Fever exclusive negotiating rights.
The supermax won’t be a huge jump from Mitchell’s 2024 salary of $212,000. With the current roster makeup and Indiana’s outgoing free agents, a $30,000 salary increase is affordable. But even key designations won’t happen until January.
So it’s a waiting game for Mitchell and fans hoping she’ll be back in a Fever jersey.
“If I know, you will know.” Mitchell added with a laugh.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star. WNBA free agency: Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell’s future unknown
