Kelsey Mitchell will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after a record-setting season ended in a first-round playoff exit for the Indiana Fever. The four-time All-Star scored a league-record 1,086 points, but the Fever could not stop the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Kelsey Mitchell’s record-setting season
Kelsey Mitchell finished second in the league in scoring at 24.7 points per game. She broke A’ja Wilson’s single-season record of 1,021 points, set in 2024, and became the league’s single-season leader in three-pointers by passing Rhyne Howard’s mark of 134. She also set the record for consecutive games with 20 or more points.
Kelsey Mitchell broke Wilson’s scoring record on Sept. 18 in a 103-85 win over the Toronto Tempo, finishing with 33 points. The record came on a three-pointer early in the third quarter. Her scoring streak ended later in a loss to Minnesota, the same night she passed Howard for the three-point record.
She and Caitlin Clark, who averaged 22.3 points, formed the highest-scoring duo in WNBA history at a combined 47 points per game, according to CBS Sports.
How the Fever’s season ended
The sixth-seeded Fever lost the best-of-three series to the third-seeded Aces 2-1. Las Vegas won Game 3 94-83 on Thursday night, behind 36 points and 10 rebounds from Wilson, according to Yahoo Sports.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points in the elimination game, but it took her 23 shots. Clark finished with 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting, and Aliyah Boston added 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Aces also shot 15 more free throws than the Fever.
Game 3 was also heated. Technical fouls were called on Clark and the Aces’ Brianna Turner in the first quarter, and Fever coach Stephanie White drew one in the second. Las Vegas guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young supported Wilson with 23 and 18 points, respectively, and Wilson said afterward that she did not want to go home.
Indiana struggled in Game 1 as well. Las Vegas scored 102 points on 59% shooting, while Mitchell went 4-of-16 for 12 points. For a full recap, read our Aces-Fever Game 3 story.
Wilson was even better in Game 1, when she scored a career playoff-high 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting with 16 rebounds. Clark had 15 points and 10 assists but shot 6-of-17 in that loss. Bench players Raven Johnson (14 points) and Sophie Cunningham (13) gave Indiana some life, but not enough to offset the Aces’ hot shooting.
A historic offense with a defensive problem
The Fever’s offense was elite, but their defense held them back. Their 108.3 defensive rating was the worst among playoff teams, and the series exposed that weakness against a deeper Las Vegas team.
The Aces now move on to the semifinals. Our Aces vs. Valkyries preview looks at that matchup.
What comes next for Kelsey Mitchell
Kelsey Mitchell played this season on a one-year deal after the Fever prioritized re-signing her last offseason. Now she can test the market, and Indiana must decide how much to invest in her.
The salary cap makes the decision harder. CBS Sports noted that if Clark signs a new maximum-level contract and the Fever re-sign Mitchell to a supermax deal, three players would make about 60% of the cap starting in 2027.
CBS Sports described Clark and Mitchell as poor defenders with overlapping offensive skills. That raises a basic question for the Fever’s front office: Should the team keep paying for offense, or add defense and frontcourt depth? Whatever the answer, Kelsey Mitchell’s record year makes her one of the biggest names on the market, and her decision will shape the Fever’s roster for years. For more, follow our WNBA coverage.
