Caitlin Clark may lose a key ally in the Indiana Fever: “I don’t know what colors I’ll wear next year”

teammates, starting with one of her biggest supporters last season, veteran Kelsey Mitchell.

The star shooting guard has been one of the Fever’s mainstays since she joined the team in the 2018 WNBA Draft. Mitchell had to live through some of the team’s worst seasons, which had not qualified for the playoffs since her arrival.

At the moment, Mitchell is in China playing for the Shanxi Flame while waiting for the 2025 WNBA season. What no one knows yet, however, is whether the two-time All-Star will wear the Fever jersey again or decide to enter the market next year.

What does Kelsey want?

Even Mitchell doesn’t know what her immediate future holds. Speaking to The Players’ Tribune this week, the Fever veteran opened up, by saying, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know what colors I’ll be wearing next year.”

The 2018 Rookie of the Year wants to keep her options open. “I’ve never been through a free agency, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to explore that for the first time in my career and have a say in my future as a basketball player,” she explained.

In this regard, Linn Dunn, senior advisor for the Fever, said that their priority is to retain Mitchell. Kelly Krauskopf, President of Basketball Operations for the Fever, agreed, saying, “Yes we do have the opportunity to core her. And it would be sort of irresponsible of me if we didn’t utilize that opportunity.”

The weight of the upcoming CBA

However, there is another factor in the “Mitchell equation” that the Fever is already considering. The WNBA will begin negotiations for its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in 2025, so the players who can do so are seeking annual contracts.

With this, in 2026, they will be able to renegotiate their deals or seek new horizons, taking advantage of the increases in salary and benefits that the new agreement may bring. Although she has not mentioned it, Mitchell may be considering this option, adding a new layer of uncertainty to her future with the Fever.