Good Times for Caitlin Clark as Fever Executive Poaches WNBA Stars & Delivers Promising Kelsey Mitchell Update
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The Indiana Fever is ready to go further than the first round in the 2025 playoffs. With Caitlin Clark as their powerhouse and an already strong team, all they need is for Kelsey Mitchell to stay in Indy. The current unrestricted free agent has not provided a concrete update about her re-signing with the Fever so far. But the new President of basketball and business operations, Kelly Krauskopf, is confident of the team’s intentions toward the 7-year veteran.
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Krauskopf, originally the president and general manager of the Fever, moved to Indiana’s NBA side seven years ago. But now that she’s back, the first order of business is to retain one of the best guards the team has seen. In her introductory press conference today, Krauskopf said, “We wouldn’t be where we are today without Kelsey Mitchell. She is extremely important to the success and the future.”
After her dad suddenly passed away earlier this year, Mitchell said in her exit interview that she was unsure about her future. “I think right now, the switching dynamic of my family and everything, you know, I gotta do what’s best for me. I got to be selfish about that process. When I know, you’ll know.”
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without Kelsey Mitchell. She is extremely important to the success and the future.”
President of Basketball & Business Operations Kelly Krauskopf on Kelsey Mitchell. https://t.co/mOBasq6E8V
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) October 8, 2024
Polls of the day
Is Kelsey Mitchell the key to the Indiana Fever’s success in the 2025 playoffs?
Absolutely, she’s irreplaceable
No, the team can succeed without her
It’s all about Caitlin Clark
Not sure
Is Caitlin Clark’s passion for golf a distraction from her basketball career or a beneficial escape?
It’s a distraction
It’s a beneficial escape
It doesn’t matter
Not sure
Do you think Connor McCaffery’s rise to fame is more due to his basketball skills or his relationship with Caitlin Clark?
His basketball skills
His relationship with Caitlin
Both equally
Is Leonie Fiebich’s international experience the key to her success with the New York Liberty?
Yes, it gives her an edge
No, it’s her talent alone
It’s a combination of both
Not sure
Is Sabrina Ionescu’s “Mamba Mentality” the key to New York Liberty’s championship hopes?
Absolutely, she’s unstoppable
It’s a team effort, not just her
Too early to tell
No, they need more than mentality
But as former GM Linn iterated previously, Mitchell is the team’s “biggest offseason priority.” Not only that but Krauskopf also had words of praise for Caitlin Clark. Praising the Rookie of the Year, the executive also said, “If you’re a smart basketball player and you watch the way [Caitlin Clark] plays, you would want to play with her.”
Following their most successful season in almost a decade, Krauskopf is going to helm the team after having gained valuable experience in the NBA, the “mature” counterpart of the W, as she calls it. In fact, the Fever executive has a comparison between the WNBA ROTY and her Pacers counterpart.
Kelly Krauskopf shares thoughts on building a team around Caitlin Clark
Though Kelsey Mitchell is the veteran presence that the young Indiana Fever needs, Caitlin Clark has exceeded expectations as a point guard this year. Already the NCAA scoring leader in both men’s and women’s college basketball, she also scored the most points by a rookie at 769. Not to mention, she also became the only WNBA player to lead the NCAA and the WNBA in assists average back to back. And Kelly Krauskopf sees a lot of Tyrese Haliburton in him.
Last season began well for the Indiana Pacers with Haliburton leading the charge with his shooting and passes. And even though a back injury somewhat derailed his season, his worth has been well-proven. And so Krauskopf mentioned in her introductory press conference, “I see so many similarities in Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton. Finding those right fits around a point guard like her is going to make us awfully dangerous.”
Haliburton has always looked to getting his teammates involved. Risking a bad pass, the Pacers guard looks to his teammates to get the basket if he can’t. And in a way, Caitlin Clark is the same. Her new record for the most assists by a rookie at 337 proves it. Not to mention, her turnovers have been, more often than not, blamed on her wish to pass the rock rather than take a shot according to many and herself.
The only glaring lack the current Indiana Fever has is experience. Hence, Krauskopf wants to build the team into something that can reduce the chances of what happened in this year’s playoffs from reoccurring. While Kelsey Mitchell is an essential part of that strategy, the executive might need to bring in some more veteran talent other than the shooting guard and Erica Wheeler.
