Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark stated that she was "upset" and " and "sad" to learn that her teammates, particularly Kelsey Mitchell, have faced criticism and negative attention due to the spotlight on Clark. During the Fever's end-of-season press conference, Clark addressed comments made by Mitchell, who had expressed that she and other teammates often receive "flak" for being associated with Clark.
"You care about your teammates so much. You don't want any of them to go through something like that," Clark said. She further condemned the racist rhetoric that has been directed at her peers, calling it "disappointing."
Clark emphasized the broader discussion surrounding the pressures faced by athletes. "Any time I see something like that, it makes me upset, sad, really disappointed, because it's not who I am, it's not who I am about," she stated.
Despite the friction caused by the increased attention, Clark made it clear that Mitchell, a pending free agent, is crucial to the Fever's success. "She knows how much I love her. We've talked since the season has ended, and there's nobody I would want to share the backcourt with other than her," Clark said. "I think we had the best season of any backcourt in the WNBA, in the league's history."
Clark voiced her strong desire for Mitchell's return to the team. "I know this organization, we're going to work our butt off to get her back, we're going to recruit her as hard as we can, every player that's signed to a contract is going to recruit her as hard as we can, we need her, we love her," Clark added. "I think more than anything, Kelsey's a really great person, and I love getting to be in the locker room with her. She's just a good soul, and this organization and these fans have rallied around her, have supported her more than anything. I hope she comes back. The arena's chanting 'MVP' for her again. That's what she deserves. That's certainly our goal, our No. 1 priority. I hope for the rest of my career, I hope I play alongside her."
Mitchell averaged 24.7 points per game last season, shooting 45.0% from three-point range. The Indiana Fever were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Las Vegas Aces.