Ramona Shelburne’s comments have added more interest to Kelsey Mitchell’s future after her standout season with the Indiana Fever. Mitchell is now an unrestricted free agent, and the possibility of her leaving Indiana has become a major offseason story.

Shelburne talked about what Mitchell could do next in her career and said her recent production could make her an attractive option for teams looking for a franchise player. She first pointed out how much Mitchell has improved after her record-breaking season.

“This is an MVP candidate, and there are teams that would want to build around a franchise player like that,” Ramona Shelburne said. “And so if she's available, ooh.”

ESPNW shared a clip of Shelburne and Chiney Ogwumike discussing Mitchell’s future. Shelburne’s comments show that Mitchell could have options beyond staying in Indiana as a major scorer alongside Caitlin Clark. Mitchell is 30 and will turn 31 in November 2026.

She could now have the chance to take on an even bigger role with another team. Mitchell had an outstanding 2026 season. She averaged 24.7 points per game, which ranked second in the WNBA in scoring. 

However, Mitchell’s decision may not depend only on her basketball role. Her comments about her family could also play an important part in what she chooses next.

Kelsey Mitchell family could influence her decision

The same ESPNW discussion also focused on the comments of Kelsey Mitchell about being “selfish” for herself and her family. Ogwumike explained why those comments are important, especially because of Mitchell’s personal story and her late father’s role in her career.

“And Ramona, we know a lot of athletes when they're in their, you know, late 20s, early 30s, they feel like they have to be selfish because you don't know how much more time you have left in the league and you want to make the most of everything,” Ogwumike said. 

Ogwumike said players at this point in their careers can feel pressure to make the most of their remaining time in the league. She then connected Mitchell’s comments about her family to the way she has approached her career.

“She also mentioned being selfish for her family. If you know Kelsey Mitchell and her story, she plays to honor her dad who she lost,” Ogwumike said. 

That personal connection could make Mitchell’s free-agent decision even more important. Ogwumike also pointed out what Indiana could lose if Mitchell decides to leave.

The Fever also cannot use the core designation on Mitchell again. Indiana used the designation on her in each of the previous two seasons. Mitchell played the 2026 season on a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract, according to HITC’s Divij Kulkarni.

Mitchell set the WNBA all-time single-season scoring record by amassing 1,086 total points across 44 games, breaking the previous mark of 1,021 points set by A'ja Wilson. Her scoring ability and ability to fit into different systems could make her difficult for the Fever to replace.

With all these factors in play, Shelburne’s comments explain why Mitchell’s next move could become one of the biggest stories of Indiana’s offseason.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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