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During her October 22 appearance on IndyStar’s Fever Insider podcast, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White was very clear about what her team’s top focus is heading into the WNBA’s free agency period.
“I mean, [Mitchell] was the number one priority [in free agency] a year ago, and she’s the number one priority this year,” White said. “She has been so important. And I said this last year: Kelsey deserves to go through this stage of her Indiana Fever career. She has been through the worst of the worst… and she has showed up like a pro every day.”
This sentiment doesn’t come as a surprise, as anybody who watched the Fever play this season could easily see how invaluable Mitchell is. And since Indiana’s GM Amber Cox has shared the same message about re-signing Mitchell being a top priority for the team, it’s safe to say that the organization is going to go all-out in bringing her back.
But what is Mitchell’s sentiment about potentially coming back to Indiana in free agency?
Kelsey Mitchell Speaks on Upcoming Free Agency
Mitchell was the guest of an October 24 episode of the Bird’s Eye View podcast, which is hosted by WNBA legend Sue Bird. And at one point in their discussion, Bird asked Mitchell if there is any desire to test free agency this offseason.
“I think yes. The short of it is, the reality of it is yes,” Mitchell responded. “I think at [family] has to be first and foremost important for me, when I think about free agency. But on the flip side of things, knowing what Indiana means to me, it’s paramount, it’s huge.
“I think there’s so many what-ifs right now, Sue, with the CBA… It’s a lot of what-ifs. But I like to think that in the right realm of work, I can’t not not think about Indiana, you know?” Mitchell added. “Like, I can’t not not think about Indiana. And on the other side of things, I gotta make sure I’m put in position to take care of my family, or be there for my family. I also know that this is for my family, as well. So it’s a combination of both.”
She concluded by saying, “I get to choose based on where I’m valued, and hopefully whoever or whatever I talk to, I want to feel value and let it flow from there.”
Despite Mitchell not saying anything concrete about her desire to return to Indiana, it’s clear she feels extremely valued there, has loved her time with the franchise, and is optimistic about the Fever’s direction.
In other words, if the Fever front office matches whatever other teams offer Mitchell, it sounds like she will have a hard time joining another team.
