Caitlin Clark has heard Kelsey Mitchell’s comments about how hard it is to play alongside her. And they didn’t sit well with her — because of what they say about her teammates, not herself.
“I think as her teammate, it makes you upset because you care about your teammates so much, and you don’t want any of them to go through something like that,” Clark said Thursday during her end-of-season exit interview.
Earlier in the week, Mitchell admitted that playing next to Clark brings a weight most players never experience.
“Playing with CC and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team,” Mitchell said. “When it comes to really trying to be yourself, it hasn’t always been easy.”
Mitchell added that some of Clark’s fans have directed racist rhetoric at opposing players — a problem Clark addressed head-on.
“I think as far as people who have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or discrimination, that’s not something I stand for,” Clark said. “That’s really disappointing when people do that. That’s not who I am. That’s not what I’m about.”
Clark acknowledged the microscope she has lived under since her Iowa days, and how it spills over onto everyone around her. “There is such a microscope on me, and that kind of comes with everybody else that I’ve been teammates with,” she said.
The conversation comes at a pivotal moment for the Fever. Indiana’s season ended October 1 with a 94-83 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Now the franchise faces a franchise-defining offseason.
Mitchell, 32, is set to become an unrestricted free agent after nine seasons in the league without a championship. She said she plans to be “selfish” about what comes next in her career. Re-signing her is widely seen as Indiana’s top priority — and Clark agrees. She has made it clear she wants the organization to bring Mitchell back.
Mitchell’s case is strong. She averaged 24.7 points on 50.9 percent shooting this season, the second-best scoring average in the league behind only A’ja Wilson’s 26.2. She finished third in MVP voting with 287 points.
Clark’s own season was a comeback story. After an injury-plagued 2025, she averaged career highs of 22.3 points on 44.5 percent shooting (36.1 percent from three), along with 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.1 steals, leading Indiana to a franchise-best 28-win season. She finished fourth in MVP voting with 212 points, including one first-place vote.
She is also eligible for the richest contract of her young career. Under the new CBA’s Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) provision, Clark can sign an extension projected at $1.3 million in 2027, rising to $1.7 million in 2028. Fever general manager Amber Cox confirmed the extension is a top priority, alongside Mitchell’s free agency.
“No matter what, I’m going to be here,” Clark said. “I just want to do what’s best for the team and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships. That’s my main goal.”
— Sources: People (Oct. 9, 2026); Athlon Sports (Oct. 8–9, 2026). Stats as reported Oct. 9, 2026.