Kelsey Mitchell’s upcoming free agency has become one of the most significant storylines surrounding the Indiana Fever, particularly after the four-time All-Star made it clear that she intends to put herself first when deciding her future. However, WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita, also a former college basketball player, has offered a more reassuring reading of the situation, pushing back on the idea that Mitchell’s comments already constitute a declaration of intent to leave.
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“I still think that there’s so many people speculating that she’s going to leave because of her remarks,” DeMita said on her Courtside Club podcast on Wednesday. “I don’t think she’s decided yet. And I don’t know if she wants to take a one-year deal because people are also talking about: she could stay one more year in Indiana and then go play for Cleveland when they have their new franchise because she went to Ohio State. There’s a lot to consider.”
Cleveland’s name emerged considering Mitchell’s connection to her home state, Ohio. After the Golden State Valkyries began play in 2025, the WNBA has since confirmed that it will be expanding to 18 franchises by 2030. Out of those, the Cleveland Sirens are scheduled to begin their journey in 2028. So, they’ve not started looking at players just yet.
The Washington Mystics are the team that began being widely discussed after Mitchell’s comments, especially after USA Today’s Meghan Hall wrote: “Adding Kelsey Mitchell to a young core that includes Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron and Georgia Amoore would be electric. Mitchell elevates their ceiling and brings veteran presence.” DeMita’s case, though, remains the same.
“I don’t agree with the takes that the Indiana Fever just completely dissolves if Kelsey isn’t there. I don’t think that’s fair at all. And I think Kelsey has been great, but we’ve also seen what the team was like when Kelsey was there, and Caitlin wasn’t there. That team wasn’t making the playoffs. And that’s not to downplay what Kelsey has done because she has been great. But I don’t think we should be saying that the Fever are doomed if she’s not there,” she added.
Kelsey Mitchell has spent all nine seasons of her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. For the first time, she is entering unrestricted free agency without being core-eligible, meaning she has complete control over her next destination. In her end-of-season interview after Indiana’s playoff exit against the Aces, she made her mindset unmistakably clear.
“I have to be selfish,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s where I am in my career, what I probably need and what’s probably best for me. So I have to be selfish in that room. I worked my tail off to be here, though, man. So whatever I do, it’s gonna come from a selfish standpoint.”
Mitchell also opened up about the difficulty of playing under Indiana’s heightened spotlight, saying that being Clark’s teammate meant the Fever players “get a lot of flak just for being on her team” and that “showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard.”
Those comments drew considerable backlash from fans and analysts, including DeMita, who pointed out that the spotlight pressure Mitchell described is simply part and parcel of playing for a high-profile franchise. “If you’re any sort of public figure with any sort of status, not everyone is going to like you,” DeMita said. Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer Dan Dakich was much more blunt: “Welcome to big-time sports, little girl. Now grow up, be a woman, be an adult.”
Such reactions prompted voices like Cheryl Miller to weigh in, urging the Fever fanbase to do whatever it takes to keep Mitchell from walking.
“You better make that young lady happy. You better keep Kelsey Mitchell there. Otherwise, Indiana Fever, it’s a wrap. It’s a wrap for you if that young lady leaves,” Miller said.
That said, the Fever have made retaining Mitchell an explicit priority. General manager Amber Cox said that Mitchell is “obviously a major priority” at the exit interviews, pointing to the guard’s nine seasons with the franchise: “Kelsey has a lot of equity in this franchise.”
Cox added that Indiana could see and feel “the love that this fan base has for her”. More directly, she said: “Our goal is for her to be a Fever girl for the rest of her career, and to retire with the Indiana Fever.”
Head coach Stephanie White was similarly without any doubts, calling Mitchell’s free agency “priority number one” for the offseason. White and Cox have also stressed the importance of keeping Indiana’s core of Mitchell, Clark and Aliyah Boston together. “We want to keep these three together,” Cox said.
At the end of the day, the decision belongs entirely to Kelsey Mitchell. Whether she remains in Indiana, takes a one-year deal as some have suggested, or pursues a fresh start elsewhere will become clear in due time.