The Indiana Fever made WNBA history by averaging 96.0 points per game. The same offensive powerhouse was also the weakest defensive unit of all the teams that qualified for the playoffs, with a 109.0 defensive rating. That contrast hasn’t escaped Caitlin Clark, who, while addressing her backcourt chemistry with Kelsey Mitchell, said that a strong offense alone wasn’t enough for a deep playoff run.

“I think inconsistency was our biggest issue this year… I mean, I feel like we can still improve a lot. We had the best offense in WNBA history… that kind of goes back to my point about how important it is to get Kelsey back here and continue to do that with her.

“Like, I still feel like in those areas, we could all improve on offense, but I think our main focus will be defensively, how can we construct a roster that’s going to give us a chance to be successful on the defensive side of the ball, and then all of us individually becoming better defenders,” Caitlin Clark told reporters during her exit interview.

However, it wasn’t like the defense problems were something that Indiana was unaware of. In fact, they had acknowledged their defensive shortcomings from the very beginning.

“I think collectively, just a little more pride, a little bit more pride in taking (defense) seriously,” Kelsey Mitchell said on May 9, 2026, following the Fever losing their season opener 107-104 against Dallas.

Eventually, the Fever surpassed the WNBA record for the most losses in a season while scoring 100 or more points in a game with four.

Meanwhile, Clark also talked about improving their already historical output. While it may be difficult to see how they can improve on 96.0 points per game, Clark knows that the Fever couldn’t have done it without Mitchell.

This season, Indiana surpassed the WNBA records for the most points in a single season, as well as the highest points-per-game average. The Fever amassed a staggering 4,222 points this season, recording 100 or more points 20 times.

Much of this blistering attack can be attributed to the backcourt pairing of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, with Mitchell averaging 24.7 PPG, finishing second in the league in scoring charts, behind only A’ja Wilson. Clark followed closely behind, averaging 22.3 PPG and finishing second in the league in assists per game, at 8.3. In total points scored, Mitchell led the leaderboard with 1,086, even ahead of 2026 MVP A’ja Wilson’s 1,073.

So it’s not difficult to see why the league’s regular season assists leader would want Mitchell to re-sign with Indiana, as she is set to become a free agent by the end of this year.

Indiana Fever’s General Manager Amber Cox echoed that same sentiment during her exit interview when asked about Mitchell’s future with the team.

“Our goal is for her to be a Fever girl for the rest of her career and to retire with the Indiana Fever. That’s what we want and we hope to get to that place.”

That being said, Mitchell herself has refrained from drawing clear lines whenever she talked about her WNBA future. In fact, one of Mitchell’s statements about playing with Clark has left a deep impression on the 24-year-old.

Caitlin Clark was “upset” at what Kelsey Mitchell had to endure

During her own exit interview, Mitchell put into perspective what kind of scrutiny she has faced from the fans for being Clark’s teammate.

“I don’t think people understand that I think having to show up for people that don’t look at you and have the eyes, the star eyes, when they see me, but playing with [Caitlin Clark] and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team, and so I think that that comes with a lot too,” Mitchell told reporters on October 3.

Clark is also conscious of the effect she generates on and off the court. Indiana was the only team to have all of their 44 games on national television. And even beyond that, it’s no secret that Clark always remains at the center of the media’s attention.

CC understands that the limelight sometimes takes a mental and emotional toll on not just her but the rest of Clark’s teammates.

“I saw Kelsey’s comments, and I think, as her teammate, it makes you upset because you care about your teammates so much and you don’t want any of them to go through something like that,” Clark said.

“Obviously there is such a microscope on me, and that kind of comes with everybody else that I’ve been teammates with, whether that was my time at Iowa, whether that’s been here, and it comes with a lot of really great things and then at times there can be some negatives.”

At this point, the Fever fans would love nothing more than keeping the duo of Clark and Mitchell on the team. With perhaps certain defensive additions and improvements, they would be able to address the inconsistencies as well.

However, before that happens, retaining Kelsey Mitchell, the highest-scoring backcourt duo in WNBA history, could be the bigger challenge for the Indiana Fever.