🔥 “She’s Been Through the Worst of the Worst” — Stephanie White Drops Bombshell on Indiana Fever’s Free Agency Plans
The Indiana Fever aren’t wasting time looking back. After a grueling playoff run that ended just one game short of the WNBA Finals, head coach Stephanie White made it clear: the team’s next mission is bigger, louder — and laser-focused on keeping its core intact.
Speaking candidly on IndyStar’s Fever Insider Podcast, White didn’t mince words when asked about the franchise’s top offseason priority.
“Kelsey [Mitchell] was the number one priority a year ago,” White said. “And she’s the number one priority this year. She’s been through the worst of the worst… and she’s showed up like a pro every day.”
Those words hit like a thunderclap across Fever Nation. Mitchell, who averaged over 20 points per game and finished in the top five of MVP voting, is set to enter unrestricted free agency — a scenario that would terrify most franchises. But not White. Her tone wasn’t anxious. It was absolute.
And she’s not alone. Fever GM Amber Cox echoed the same message weeks earlier:
“I’m going to sound like a broken record from last year,” Cox admitted. “The priority will be Kelsey Mitchell, and making sure she remains in a Fever jersey.”
It’s rare to see an organization this aligned — and this public — about its free agency intentions. But the Fever have reason to be bold. Even with Caitlin Clark sidelined for much of the season, and despite a roster that was often patchworked together by injury and fatigue, Indiana fought its way to the WNBA semifinals, forcing a Game 7 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
The Aces, who went on to sweep the Phoenix Mercury in the Finals, showed how close the Fever truly are to breaking through. One more healthy piece, one more consistent scorer — and the conversation might have been very different.
That’s why White’s comments feel less like routine coach-speak and more like a declaration. The Fever believe their time is coming. And they’re betting it starts by keeping their star homegrown guard right where she belongs.
Beyond Mitchell, the Fever are expected to explore secondary moves in free agency — possibly adding veteran depth around Clark and Aliyah Boston, who continues to evolve into one of the most dominant interior players in the league. But White made it clear that chemistry and continuity will outweigh flash and headlines.
“I think making sure we’re all on the same page about free agency — what it looks like, what our opportunities are — is going to be important,” White told IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson.
In other words: no chaos, no panic, no overreaction. This is a franchise that has suffered through the bottom and clawed its way back to respectability. Now, they want to turn respect into revenge.
With Clark expected to return fully healthy in 2026, and Mitchell poised to stay as the franchise cornerstone, the Fever are shaping up to be a serious threat — a team that could rewrite the balance of power in the WNBA.
The offseason hasn’t even officially started, but one thing is already certain: Stephanie White knows exactly what — and who — the Indiana Fever need. And if she gets her way, the rest of the league might be in serious trouble.
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