E-Paper
What happened between Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell? Fever star makes feelings clear on teammate’s comments
During her exit interview, Kelsey Mitchell revealed that she and her teammates “get a lot of flak” simply for being on the same team as Caitlin Clark.
Prefer HTon Google
Kelsey Mitchell’s future with the Indiana Fever has become one of the major storylines of the offseason, with the veteran guard heading toward unrestricted free agency before the 2027 WNBA season. Her situation, however, is not the only reason she has been in the spotlight.
During her exit interview, Mitchell opened up about what it has been like playing alongside Caitlin Clark and revealed that she and her teammates “get a lot of flak” simply for being on the same team as the Fever star.
Clark admits comments upset her
The comments later came to Clark’s attention, with the Fever star admitting Thursday during her end-of-season presser that they made her "upset."
“As her teammate, it makes you upset, because you care about your teammates so much. You don’t want any of them to go through something like that.," Clark said.
Clark explained that the intense attention surrounding her does not only affect her, but also extends to the teammates who share the floor with her, dating back to her college days at Iowa.
"For the people that follow me, obviously there is such a microscope on me, and that kinda of comes with everybody else that I’ve been teammates with, whether that was my time at Iowa or whether that’s been here,” she said.
The Fever No. 22 acknowledged that the attention brings plenty of positives, but said it can also have a negative side.
"It kind of gets into this larger discussion in mainstream sports of what people go through... Any time I see something like that, it makes me upset, sad, really disappointed, because it's not who I am, it's not who I am about," the 24-year-old added.
Clark wants Mitchell back
Even with the recent tension, Clark made no secret of her desire to see Mitchell stay in Indiana. As the veteran guard approaches free agency, Clark stressed the value Mitchell brings to the Fever.
"She knows how much I love her. We've talked since the season has ended, and there's nobody I would want to share the backcourt with other than her," Clark said.
Clark also stressed that Indiana intends to do everything possible to keep Mitchell, with both the organization and her teammates prepared to make their case for the veteran guard’s return.
"I know this organization, we're going to work our butt off to get her back, we're going to recruit her as hard as we can, every player that's signed to a contract is going to recruit her as hard as they can, we need her, we love her,” Clark explained.
Mitchell remains Fever's top scorer
Mitchell and Clark finished as Indiana’s top two scorers this season, averaging 24.7 and 22.3 points, respectively. Mitchell has also remained the franchise’s leading scorer in every season since 2019.
Clark became the face of the Fever after Indiana selected her first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, while Mitchell has continued to play a major role alongside her. With Mitchell now approaching unrestricted free agency, her decision could have a significant impact on the Fever’s backcourt moving forward.
