The Indiana Fever opened WNBA free agency by placing a core designation on guard Kelsey Mitchell.
Per the league’s transactions page, on Monday, the Fever sent a core qualifying offer to Mitchell. It should come as no surprise that Mitchell is a top priority for Indiana. The front office has made it clear for months that retaining her is the goal. Mitchell’s teammate, Fever star Caitlin Clark, also reinforced the same thought process in March during an appearance on NBC.
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“You know, our first priority is to sign Kelsey Mitchell back. She was first-team All-WNBA last year. Kind of my running mate in the backcourt. She makes it really easy for me,” Clark said.
Now that Mitchell has a core designation, she is eligible for a supermax contract (worth $1.4 million) in exchange for exclusive negotiation rights. Mitchell receives an automatic one-year contract, and she and Indiana can work towards a long-term contract should they so choose.
This year’s core designation is the second for the Fever guard, and she can no longer be cored following the designation. (Players are only to be cored twice. Beginning in 2027, only players with less than seven years of experience can be cored.)
Mitchell’s core designation doesn’t automatically mean she will be back with the Fever for the 2026 season. She could still request a trade, like former Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum did to move to the Sparks or as former Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally did to move on to the Phoenix Mercury last season.
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Mitchell had a stellar year in 2025, averaging a career-high 20.2 points on 45.6% shooting from the field, 39.4% from deep and 3.4 assists per game. She also earned first-team All-WNBA honors, helped lead Indiana to a second-round playoff appearance and was among the top five candidates for the league’s MVP trophy.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever start WNBA free agency with Kelsey Mitchell core designation
