r/IndianaFeverFans

I have a pretty strong opinion that the Fever should do what it takes to keep Kelsey Mitchell. I don't deny that there are players who are more defensive-minded with more of an all-around game that might be a better fit and actually might improve the team.

However, I don't see any of those players as a possibility as they don't exist on the free agency market, and the Fever don't really have any assets to trade outside of draft picks and two young players they'd probably like to keep (Timpson and Raven).

I've come to the conclusion that many Fever fans are of the belief that they are going to be able to replace Kelsey with a really good player. I had a back-and-forth on another platform with a fan who said, "We don't really need someone who scores 25ppg and gives nothing else. We need someone who gives us more like 18/5/4."

I looked. The number of players who averaged at least 18pts, 5rebs, and 4asts was exactly zero. And if there was such a player, they'd already be on a max contract and would certainly not be available in free agency or via a trade based on what Indiana could offer.

Caitlin and Kelsey together are also one of the toughest defensive matchups for almost every opponent in the league. It is their primary competitive advantage.

But what happens if Kelsey leaves? Can the Fever still compete after losing an All-WNBA and MVP candidate who put up one of the greatest scoring seasons in league history?

I decided to take a look at the last few decades of NBA History to see what happened in similar situations. Here are the parallels I was looking for:

- A team with two stars (loosely defined as an All-Star, but All-NBA would be even better) with one deciding to leave. Bonus points for a 3rd star that can represent Boston.

- The player leaves via free agency but a trade is fine so long as it brings back rotation-level players. Or if the player was salary-dumped, the team added another player(s) via free agency.

- The team losing the star player, decides to compete instead of rebuilding. This is the main key.

- I avoided teams with two young stars like Steph/KG or Vince/TMac. I wanted at least one to be more established.

Let's look at some comparisons:

2024-25 Minnesota Timberwolves

The previous season, The Wolves finished 3rd in the West and made it to the conference finals on the backs of their big 3: Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Rudy Gobert. The KAT/Gobert fit wasn't perfect and KAT's contract limited their roster flexibility, so they flipped him to the Knicks for players deemed a better fit: Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

What happened next? The team dropped from 56 to 49 wins and went from 3rd to 6th place. However, the end result was the same with them losing in the conference championship. The next year, last year, they had the same exact record and finish in the standings only to fall in the second round being hit by the injury bug.

It should be noted that Towns ended up winning a title with the Knicks, of course.

This is probably the best-case scenario for the Fever.

2016-17 Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant came so very close to knocking off the 73-win Warriors in the conference finals the year prior. Kevin Durant then decides to join said Warriors team leaving Russ behind.

The Thunder add a solid player in Victor Oladipo along with Domantas Sabonis by trading Serge Ibaka to the Magic. Oladipo is good but Sabonis isn't ready to contribute.

The Thunder go from 55 to 47 wins and a first round exit.

2004-05 Dallas Mavericks

The previous season, the Mavs big 3 of Nowitzki, Nash, and Finley lead the team to a 52-30 record, 3rd in the West, and 1st round playoff loss. The lead the league in scoring but are 2nd to last in defense.

Owner Mark Cuban decided to let Nash walk in free agency and instead opted to improve his defense with Erick Dampier. Shaq would refer to him as "Ericka" as Cuban made the claim that the signing Dampier would give them a better chance against him.

Along with Dampier, they add Jason Terry, and Josh Howard improves helping the team to a 58-24 record and 2nd place finish. They would lose in the 2nd round to Nash's Suns with Nash winning the first of his back-to-back MVPs that season.

The following year, Dallas would finish with 60 wins, good for 2nd in the West, and lose to Miami in the Finals. And Dwyane Wade just shot another FT as I was writing this.

2015-16 Portland Trailblazers

Rising superstar Damian Lillard paired with LaMarcus Aldridge, by then a 4-time all-star and all-NBA 2nd teamer, to lead Portland to a 51-31 record and 6th place finish in the West the previous season. There was a lot to hope for with this team and pairing.

After the season, Aldridge decides to leave to the Spurs. The Blazers struggle to replace him, going with guys like Al-farouq Aminu and Mason Plumlee. CJ McCollum does take a leap, and while the team drops to 44 wins, they make it to the 2nd round. They wouldn't make it out of the first round again until 2018-19 when they make the conference finals.

1996-97 Orlando Magic

Shaq and Penny, those were the days. After making the finals in 1995, they win 60 games and make it to the conference finals only to be swept by the Bulls. Shaq obviously leaves for the Lakers.

The Magic pick up Rony Seikaly to "replace" him. He's a serviceable big man with a decent offensive game but otherwise pretty forgettable. The Magic end up with 45 wins and a first round exit.

However, it should be noted that injuries bothered Hardaway that year (and really, the rest of his career) and limited him to 59 games. The Magic would go 38-21 with him in the lineup and 7-16 without.

2004-05 Los Angeles Lakers

The previous season, the Lakers lose to Detroit in the Finals and after the season, after deciding they don't want to pay the aging Shaq, decide to trade him to the Miami Heat.

The Lakers get a decent package in return but nowhere near the value of Shaq. Kobe takes the reigns and with Lamar Odom and Caron Butler and finish 34-48 and of course miss the playoffs. They wouldn't make it out of the first round until winning the title in 2008.

I could do Shaq leaving Miami, too, but let's move on...

It's obviously not hopeless if Indiana loses Kelsey Mitchell. Obviously, a lot depends on who they get to replace her in free agency, who they draft, and how well Raven and Timpson develop next season.

There aren't a lot of great options at guard in free agency. They are realistically looking at players like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Kennedy Burke, Maya Caldwell, Diamond Miller, etc. Those are solid players, but not the ones I think most Fever fans are hoping for. It is also worth keeping in mind that there are more teams with more cap space now so even landing one of those may be a challenge.

In the end, considering the options, I still think they should keep Kelsey, but I don't think it would be the end of the world if they lost her.

Basically, the GSV have been punking the Aces. The Aces big three cannot score some lessons for the Fever to learn here you must play defense to go anywhere in the WNBA playoffs.

What is crazier about this series so far during the regular season the Aces dominated the GSV winning all 4 games and 3 games by over twenty points. Go figure now the Aces are a lot more injured than they were in the regular season.

Before this series the Aces are 7-1 vs the GSV all time. I did not see this level of play coming from GSV they just beat Dallas by the smallest of margins but that is how it goes in sports. You just never know when your time is despite how you played.

The Fever need to hold off on big spending until the 2028 free agency class.

The 2027 FA pool is weak, and many teams have a lot of cap room. Expect a ton of overpays for aging vets and marginal starters. Outside of elite targets like Jackie, Phee, Awak, KM, and Plum (most of whom we can’t afford anyway), there isn't much value. 2028, on the other hand, is stacked. Plus, other teams will be locked up extending their young stars in 28, leaving fewer teams with cap space to throw around.

What does this mean for Indiana right now?

• If KM stays: We’re capped out. Our best move is running it back and maybe grabbing a bench pieces for depth.
• If KM leaves: We’ll have cap room, but burning it in a weak 2027 market just to overpay mid-tier players sets us right back into cap hell right before the 2028 goldmine. We need to look for one year deals and players to "test run" if they are a fit before 28 when we build the real contender around AB/CC after the Billings and Hull contracts come off the books.

As frustrating as it sounds to run it back with a similar core, staying patient and preserving cap flexibility for 2028 is the smartest long-term play.

One thing I worry about with Caitlin Clark is how all of the fame, pressure, and constant scrutiny could eventually affect her mental health. It seems like almost everything she does becomes a headline or an argument on social media. I think people sometimes forget that she is just a 24-year-old woman going through all of this. It makes me think about young stars like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, who experienced an overwhelming amount of attention and unwanted publicity at young ages and later struggled with their mental health. I am not saying Caitlin will go through the same thing, but their experiences show how damaging constant public scrutiny can potentially become. I hope Caitlin has a strong support system around her and feels comfortable putting her mental health before basketball when necessary.

I keep seeing people act like if Kelsey Mitchell leaves, the Fever are suddenly screwed. I really don’t see it that way.

Obviously, losing Kelsey would be a huge loss. You’re not replacing 24+ PPG, elite shooting and her chemistry with Caitlin Clark with one player. But Indiana doesn’t need to replace Kelsey directly. They need to replace what she provides across the roster.

The biggest mistake would be finding another high-volume scoring guard and calling it a day. This roster needs to become more balanced.

1. Get a starting-caliber SG who can defend and give you 10–15 PPG.

The Fever need someone who can hit open threes, attack closeouts, defend opposing guards and play off CC.

Caitlin will have the ball more, and if she takes another step offensively, some of Kelsey’s scoring can be absorbed through increased production from her.

2. Add a legitimate two-way wing.

Indiana needs an athletic wing who can defend multiple positions, run the floor, hit open threes and make life easier for CC and AB.

Defense has to be a priority. A great offense doesn’t matter if you can’t get stops when games slow down.

3. Find AB some real frontcourt help.

Indiana needs a 4 who can rebound, defend and provide 10–16 points while taking some of the physical burden off Aliyah Boston.

AB shouldn’t have to be the primary interior scorer, rebounder and defensive anchor every night. A reliable frontcourt partner would also give her more freedom offensively.

4. Keep building around CC and AB.

If Kelsey leaves, CC becomes even more clearly the offensive engine. Give her shooters, athletic wings who can cut and run, a big who can finish and rebound, and defenders who can take tough perimeter assignments.

AB also needs to be part of the offensive evolution. If she takes another step, some of Kelsey’s scoring can be redistributed between CC and AB instead of placed on one replacement player.

5. Prioritize depth over one star replacement.

If KM leaves, I’d rather see Indiana add a 10–15 PPG guard, a legitimate two-way wing and a starting-caliber 4/5 than spend everything on one player who scores 20+.

You replace Kelsey’s production by committee:
CC and AB taking another step
10–15 PPG from the new SG
10–16 PPG from the new 4
improved wing production
better defensive personnel

That could get the Fever surprisingly close to replacing Kelsey’s overall value while making the roster deeper and more balanced.

That’s why I’m not in the “Kelsey leaves, we’re cooked” camp.

It would hurt, but the Fever have two franchise-level building blocks in CC and AB. The goal should be to build a team that’s less dependent on three players having great games every night.

Different roster doesn’t automatically mean worse roster. It could actually mean a more complete one.

A friend remarked the other day, and I agree with him, that Caitlin Clark does NOT receive anywhere near the most hate out of any player in professional basketball. That distinction goes to LeBron. LBJ has played 20 more seasons than Caitlin, and he has voluntarily made four different departures from three different cities.

I’m not sure it’s even an argument- LeBron James has a far larger number of total detractors than Caitlin Clark.

If more people dislike LeBron James than dislike Caitlin Clark, then how can it be that Caitlin Clark FANS provoke more hostility within WNBA discourse than LeBron fans provoke within NBA discourse? It’s very easy to find LeBron haters anywhere you look, but is it not odd that being a LeBron FAN doesn’t automatically put you in the crosshairs of other FANS?

A lot of people aways have opinions or that, in other sports or even NBA fans are often asked if they would swap 1;1 this player for that player or current coach.

For example do you think Mystics/Atlanta/GSV fans/owners would want to swap coaches?

Reach out to friends that you go to games with or the like and ask them would you swap your current Coach for White and if yes/no why, and lets see what the result is if often enough the answer is no then most people clearly do not rate White as high as perhaps we as fan base might believe.

What about Toronto/Portland/Lynx/Aces?

And so the next question becomes if most fans wont swap current coach for White, how does that rank her in current wnba Scheme of coaches?

For me she is simply not even making top 5, from talking to people in person/arenas and online i dont think most fan bases would swap current coach for her that are in the playoffs and some that are out of the playoffs too.

What do you guys think about that and how do you rate her?

Here are few stats and facts, people with same experience or more in the league like Coach White are the following

• Becky won rings
• Cheryl won rings and rebuild few teams
• Sandy Brondello - x2 CHAMPION 2014/2024 (had only one season under .500 before this year/expansion team)
• Nakase from Becky coaching tree- New expansion team already doing better
• Smesko second year coach improved a team with same core from bottom 2 DEFRTG and bottom 5 OFFRTG to top of the league

And thats just few names , there is conversation to be had about mystics/portland coach as well.

I do not think Coach White is a bad coach but i do think she is middle of the road one that you have to move on to win a ring, and given her 'stats' and 'experience' she dosnt really lead above the other options in the league.

I'm open to do this for players as well for example how Sky and Sparks did 1;1 swap for Rickea and Ariel Atkins , who do you think won that trade btw?

Do you think if you swap KM for Jackie Young we win or lose in that trade?

I saw a lists on the WNBA sub of players leaving Unrivaled and I didn't see AB on the list. I really hope she doesn't play and uses the off season to get her body fully healed for next season.