Kelsey Mitchell says she must be selfish in free agency as the Indiana Fever make retaining the four-time All-Star a top offseason priority.
Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox and coach Stephanie White both said Saturday morning that keeping Kelsey Mitchell is a top offseason priority. The team held its end-of-season media sessions in Indianapolis two days after the Las Vegas Aces eliminated the Fever in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent. Indiana gave her the core designation in each of the past two seasons, and she cannot receive it again, according to ESPN.
Mitchell has played for one franchise her entire career, and she is still figuring out how to handle the process.
"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.
"But I think, ultimately, being on the Fever and being a part of an organization that does come with a lot of ups and downs," Mitchell continued, "what factors in and what is important for me is, obviously, having a good chemistry on and off the floor. I've only been with one team my entire career, so it's all kind of like figuring this out. It's hard, man."
Mitchell Enters Free Agency After Historic Season
Indiana selected Mitchell second overall out of Ohio State in the 2018 draft. She has spent all nine of her seasons with the Fever and is a four-time All-Star.
This season, the 30-year-old averaged a career-high 24.7 points per game, which ranked second in the league. She shot 50.9% from the field and 45.0% from 3-point range. In 2025, she averaged 20.2 points.
Mitchell set the WNBA single-season records for points scored and 3-pointers made, ESPN reported. She also set the league record with 27 consecutive games of 20 or more points.
The 3-point record came in the regular-season finale at Minnesota on Sept. 24, when Mitchell passed the mark Atlanta's Rhyne Howard had set earlier in the season, USA Today reported. Copeland reported that Mitchell is expected to receive a high number of MVP votes and to be named to the All-WNBA First Team for the second season in a row.
Mitchell and Caitlin Clark became the highest-scoring duo in WNBA history this season. Indiana's offense was the highest-scoring in league history, according to ESPN.
Fever Make Keeping Mitchell a Priority
Cox wants Mitchell to retire with the Fever.
"She has a lot of equity in this franchise and has put in a lot of time," Cox said. "She's meant so much to us and has, obviously, had, arguably, the best season in the history of our league in terms of being a scoring guard. The numbers she put up were just spectacular, and you hear night in and night out from players across this league -- the hardest person to guard in this league is Kelsey Mitchell.
"When you put her in the backcourt with Caitlin [Clark] ... historic in terms of what they were able to do," Cox added, "and we hope we have the opportunity to build upon that."
Mitchell said she values playing in a backcourt with Clark and that it will factor into her decision. She also said playing in Indiana and alongside Clark can be difficult because of vitriol from some fans.
"It's a lot to hash out," Mitchell explained. "I just think that I've got to be selfish about where my career is going a little bit in terms of some of the things, as I get older, what's important for me, whether it be winning, whether it be my own individual success. I worked my tail off to be here, though, man. So whatever I do, it's gonna come from a selfish standpoint. I'll be honest about that."
Minnesota's Napheesa Collier addressed her own free agency after the top-seeded Lynx were swept by the New York Liberty in the first round.
Fever Also Face Sophie Cunningham Decision
Indiana also has a decision to make on Sophie Cunningham, another unrestricted free agent.
Cunningham, an eight-year veteran, averaged 7.9 points per game this season. That was her lowest scoring average since 2023. She was considered a Sixth Player of the Year candidate through the first two months of the season before her production fell off down the stretch, ESPN reported.
During the season, Cunningham drew attention for comments she made to ESPN about transgender athletes, an exchange with DiJonai Carrington, and a finger-pointing incident with DeWanna Bonner, according to ESPN. Protesters and supporters began appearing outside arenas after her comments about transgender athletes in women's sports. Cunningham also speaks out on social media and on her podcast.
Cox said situations unrelated to basketball would not influence her evaluation of Cunningham.
"Sophie's had two really productive years for us in terms of shooting the basketball," Cox explained. "She is a really solid leader in the locker room, a great connector. She brings levity but also brings a lot of experience. She's serious and is an important voice in our locker room when we need it. When we really need to lock in.
"She's an unrestricted free agent, so we look forward to having those conversations," Cox noted. "She had a really productive year, and we'll see just where things take us."
Las Vegas won Game 1 of the series at home. Indiana won Game 2 in Indianapolis to force a deciding game.
Mitchell scored 23 points in the 94-83 loss in Game 3 on Thursday in Las Vegas. Clark added 18.
