INDIANAPOLIS — It’s almost time to make a decision Kelsey Mitchell.
THE Indiana fever The goalkeeper has just completed a three-year extension to her rookie contract, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
Mitchell is also entering free agency at the right time — she’s coming off the best two years of her career, named an All-Star both seasons. In 2024, she helped lead the Fever to the playoffs for the first time in his careerfinishing the regular season with just three points in total Rookie phenom Caitlin Clark.
The former Ohio State star has seen the Fever go from the laughing stock of the league when she was drafted in 2018 to a team on the rise and the WNBA’s walking billboard in 2024. With a new front office and a new coachthe Fever could soon become one of the most formidable teams in the league.
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Will these last two years of progress make him want to stay within the organization? The Fever hopes so.
“Kelsey Mitchell is our top priority heading into free agency,” Fever CEO Amber Cox said in November. “She is, in my opinion, the cornerstone of this franchise. She’s been here for seven seasons and she’s, you know, endured a lot, hasn’t gained a lot, so I really want her to be here to enjoy what’s to come. She deserves this.
The Fever can take over Mitchell, giving them exclusive negotiating rights in exchange for a maximum one-year salary. Indiana is the only team that can offer Mitchell the supermax this season, or about $249,000 for a one-year deal. Mitchell can also be cut in 2026, which could give Indiana two more years before hitting true free agency.
That, coupled with a promising prospect of running the backcourt with Clark, gives Fever hope of reaching a deal with Mitchell. Teams can extend qualifying offers to eligible principals between January 11 and 20.
“I don’t think she could join another team that would better maximize her skills,” Fever president Kelly Krauskopf told IndyStar in November. “I mean, she had her best year in the backcourt with Caitlin Clark, and I think they were probably the most dynamic duo.”
The Fever are also the closest team to Mitchell’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, just an hour and a half drive away. This allowed Mitchell to go home to see her family on most days off and for her family to come see her in Indianapolis, especially after her father’s sudden death in March 2023.
Still, Mitchell wants to research the best options, whether in Indianapolis or elsewhere.
“Obviously I’ve always had a house in Indy, so this could potentially become a home for me again,” Mitchell said in September. “But I think right now, given the dynamic of change in my family and everything else, I have to do what’s best for me. That’s not to say I tip my hat to one team or another, but I think it’s specifically for me. I have to be selfish about this process. »
Mitchell’s camp has indicated he wants to test the waters of free agency this offseason and talk with other teams, despite the basic tag. Mitchell has never been in a place in her career where she was able to solicit offers from multiple teams – she signed her three-year extension before the final year of her rookie contract, preventing her from becoming a restricted free agent or to talk with teams after his rookie contract.
Technically, Mitchell won’t be able to speak with other teams unless Fever gives permission, as part of the base designation. Indiana could give her permission to talk with other teams while retaining her rights with the supermax deal, essentially allowing Mitchell to test the waters for what’s out there when she reaches true free agency once her senior years are over. base completed. If Mitchell really wants to leave for another team as well, she could negotiate a sign-and-trade out of the Fever franchise.
No matter what happens or where Mitchell ends up, she will likely only sign a one-year deal. The league’s current collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA Players’ Association expires after the 2025 season, and the WNBPA is heavily pushing for an overhaul and increase in player salaries starting in 2026. For this reason, very few free agents sign after 2025.
This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Star: WNBA free agency: Indiana Fever can core Kelsey Mitchell, will she stay?
