For the Indiana Fever organization, the 2025 WNBA season was a breakthrough, but the celebration was short-lived. Now, the focus shifts to an offseason that could define the franchise’s trajectory for the next five years. The catalyst for this anxiety is the unrestricted free agency of their cornerstone guard, Kelsey Mitchell.

When Indiana Fever GM Kelly Krauskopf spoke to the media on October 2, her message was one of desperate, unwavering clarity.

“I’m going to sound like a broken record from last year. The priority will be Kelsey Mitchell, and making sure she remains in a Fever jersey,” Krauskopf stated, acknowledging the repetitive nature of her own plea. “Wow. What a season for her. She laid it all out on the line… [Mitchell] will continue to be a focal point as we enter free agency.”

This is not standard GM-speak. The “broken record” comment reveals a tension bubbling just beneath the surface: the Fever know exactly what they have, and they know the entire league is watching.

Mitchell is coming off a career-best campaign, a season so dominant that she finished in the top five for WNBA MVP voting. She has spent her entire career with the Fever, evolving from a scoring sparkplug into the undeniable engine of the team’s offense. She is, as Krauskopf noted, the “focal point.”

This situation is made infinitely more complex by the other superstar in the Fever’s backcourt: Caitlin Clark. The 2025 season provided a tantalizing glimpse of what the Mitchell-Clark pairing could become. Mitchell’s ability to score at all three levels and handle the ball takes immense pressure off Clark, freeing her up to be the generational playmaker she is. When both are healthy, the offense is lethal.

Losing Mitchell would not just remove a top-five MVP candidate from the roster; it would fundamentally jeopardize the development of their other franchise player. The front office understands that keeping Mitchell is not just about rewarding loyalty; it is a critical strategic necessity for the Clark era to succeed.

But for the first time, loyalty is not the only factor. Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent. She has earned the right to listen to every offer, and other WNBA teams are acutely aware of how valuable she is. According to a recent October 16 article from The Athletic, two teams, in particular, have emerged as logical and dangerous fits: the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm.

The Dallas Wings represent a terrifying offensive threat. The Wings already have their own young phenom in 2025 Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers. While Bueckers had a spectacular first season, she often had to carry the entire offensive load, drawing constant double-teams.

Imagine, for a moment, a Dallas backcourt featuring both Kelsey Mitchell and Paige Bueckers. Defenses would be forced into an impossible choice. Focus on stopping Bueckers, and Mitchell, one of the league’s most dynamic scorers, gets single coverage. Shift that focus to Mitchell, and Bueckers is free to operate. It is a “pick your poison” scenario that would instantly elevate the Wings to contender status. Adding Mitchell would not just be a luxury for Dallas; it would be a strategic checkmate.

The second team identified, the Seattle Storm, presents a different kind of threat. The Storm are entering a period of massive uncertainty. Many of their best players are also set to become free agents, meaning their roster for 2026 is largely a blank slate.

This chaos is precisely what makes them dangerous. Seattle needs scoring, particularly at the guard position, and they may be looking for a new cornerstone to build around. Unlike Dallas, which wants to pair Mitchell with a superstar, Seattle could be in a position to offer Mitchell the keys to the entire franchise. With a potentially wide-open checkbook and the promise of being the undisputed number one option, the Storm could make an offer so large that it forces Indiana into a very uncomfortable financial decision.

This is the nightmare scenario for Fever fans, who, as the organization knows, absolutely adore Mitchell. She is the veteran leader who stayed, the player who endured the lean years and finally brought the team back to the playoffs.

The mutual benefit of her staying in Indiana is clear to everyone. Mitchell has a perfect running mate in Clark, the fans’ support, and an organization that publicly calls her its number one priority. The Fever, in turn, get to keep the heart of their team and the perfect partner for their young star.

But “hard to imagine” and “impossible” are two different things. This offseason, Kelsey Mitchell holds all the cards. The Fever have made their intentions clear. Now, they, and their fans, can only wait and see if the “broken record” of loyalty and priority is loud enough to drown out the siren song of a new challenge and a massive new contract.