Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Indiana Fever teammates Caitlin Clark (left) and Kelsey Mitchell
Playing next to Caitlin Clark can be a chore. At least, that’s how fellow star teammate Kelsey Mitchell feels, according to comments she made in her exit interview following the Indiana Fever‘s loss in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs to the Las Vegas Aces.
Now, Clark has issued a response… and she fully agrees.
“If I showed y’all my DM’s about the hate, and all of the stuff that comes with being a professional athlete—but specifically being an Indiana Fever basketball player—it’s a lot that goes into that,” Mitchell said when asked if she’d had some difficult moments during the season.
“Showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard,” she added. ” Playing with CC and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team. And I think that comes with a lot, too.”
Kelsey Mitchell, who became a literal millionaire because of Caitlin Clark, says playing on Clark’s team is really tough. https://t.co/iHCpXUE93N
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) October 4, 2026
Indiana, of course, is the most viewed and scrutinized team in the league, almost entirely due to Clark. While the Iowa product has done her best to advocate for players across the league and calm her sometimes rabid fans, there’s only so much control she has over other people’s actions.
Which is exactly why she says that Mitchell’s comments were true. And that fans really need to chill out.
Caitlin Clark Responds To Kelsey Mitchell’s Comments In Exit Interview
On Thursday, Clark had her chance to meet with members of the media, and much to the chagrin of a certain sect of fans, she actually backed Mitchell.
It “makes you upset,” Clark said of what her teammate has gone through, noting that Mitchell is a “good soul.”
Caitlin Clark on wanting Kelsey Mitchell back with the Fever:
“She knows how much I love her … I know this organization is going to work our butt off to get her back … I hope for the rest of my career I get to play alongside her. That’s how easy she makes my job.”
https://t.co/QcvhVAc515— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) October 8, 2026
“As far as people that have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or discrimination, that’s not something I stand for,” Clark said. “That’s never been something I’ve stood for. For those of you that know me, you know that’s not what I’m about. It’s not how I was raised, so that’s really disappointing when people do that.
Mitchell, who made the last four WNBA All-Star games, is a free agent this offseason. But Clark advocated strongly for her return to Indiana.
“For my teammates, obviously, there’s a lot of really great things that come with playing here, too,” Clark said. “And as far as Kelsey and our future with her, with the organization, she knows how much I love her, and we’ve talked since the season has ended. And there’s nobody I would want to share the backcourt with other than her.
“I know this organization is, 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 is signed to a contract is going to recruit her as hard as we can. We need her. We love her.
“I hope for the rest of my career I get to play alongside her,” Clark said.
The WNBA Is In Uncharted Waters
The WNBA is currently more popular now than it has ever been at any point in its existence. Much of that is due to Clark. But there are also other superstars such as A’ja Wilson and Paige Bueckers who have contributed to that growth.
With that growth, however, comes added attention and, sadly, additional abuse from fans. It happens in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and just about every other men’s league and has been for years.
That doesn’t justify it. But it’s part of the reality of being an extremely public figure who is making inordinate wealth. That harassment is then exacerbated when you account for additional societal factors like race and sexual orientation.
So it makes complete sense that WNBA players are having difficulty with the changing landscape of the league. But outside of speaking up and trying to eliminate as many people as possible who step over the line, that’s likely not going to change as the league continues to grow.