The Indiana Fever are set to re-sign Kelsey Mitchell to a one-year supermax contract worth $1.4 million, as first reported by ESPN. The deal makes her the first player in franchise history to surpass the $1 million mark.
Mitchell signed after the Fever extended a core qualifying offer on Monday, granting Indiana exclusive negotiating rights. Because she finalized the deal before the official free-agency signing period opened Saturday, Mitchell signed the qualifying offer as written, locking in the supermax figure of $1.4 million — equal to 20% of the Fever’s $7 million salary cap. She earned $250,000 last season. Mitchell will be an unrestricted free agent upon exiting core eligibility following the 2026 season.
BREAKING: All-WNBA 1st Team and 3x WNBA All-Star Kelsey Mitchell is finalizing a $1.4M supermax one-year agreement to return to the Indiana Fever.
After a career year helping the Indiana Fever reach the WNBA semi-finals, Mitchell becomes one of the first-ever players in WNBA… pic.twitter.com/Ba8qMjt1BV
— Chiney Ogwumike (@chiney) April 10, 2026
The writing had been on the wall. Appearing as a special contributor on NBC’s pregame coverage of a Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets game on March 29, Caitlin Clark made Indiana’s offseason agenda unmistakably clear.
“Our first priority is to sign Kelsey Mitchell back,” Clark said on the broadcast. “She was first-team All-WNBA last year; she’s kind of my running mate in the backcourt. She makes it really easy for me.”
With the deal now done, that priority is checked off.
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Running It Back
With a condensed offseason putting pressure on front offices across the league, Indiana wasted no time making Mitchell its first order of business. Mitchell, Clark and Aliyah Boston will run it back together for a third straight year, keeping intact a core the Fever believe can push them to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Mitchell stepped up significantly in a season that Clark was limited to playing 13 games. She averaged 20.2 points and 3.4 assists per game and kept Indiana afloat through a season that had no business being as successful as it was. The Fever pushed all the way to Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals.
Mitchell picked up her first career first-team All-WNBA nod and was in the MVP conversation by the time it was over.
Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images.
Now, with Clark back healthy and expected to be fully available in 2026, the Fever backcourt figures to be among the most formidable in the league. Clark made no secret of how much Mitchell’s return means to the team’s championship aspirations.
“We were trying to win it all last season. That’s what we’re trying to do this year,” Clark said. “I think we’re gonna be the favorite to win it all. I think it adds a little pressure, but that’s what you love about it.”
Mitchell’s return closes out Indiana’s most important offseason transaction, delivering on the mandate Clark spelled out on national television two weeks ago. Indiana will soon be eligible to offer Aliyah Boston and Clark supermax contracts. Capitalizing on roster fits on the margins will be essential for the Fever front office as it navigates a new CBA landscape.
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