The debut season of Unrivaled featured two Indiana Fever players, but Caitlin Clark wasn’t among them. The Indiana superstar chose to sit out, taking an extended rest after a whirlwind college season followed by her demanding rookie year in the WNBA. While Clark’s future in Unrivaled remains a mystery, one of her teammates is already preparing to make the journey, bringing another piece of the Fever to the W’s emerging rival league.
This season will see Kelsey Mitchell joining Unrivaled for the first time, staying stateside after several years playing overseas, including a stint in China last year with the Shanxi Flame. Alongside Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston–whose participation remains a question mark, though most expect her to suit up–Mitchell is set to play a major role in representing the Indiana Fever in the competition.
Kelsey Mitchell has been the shining star for the Fever this season. The eight-year veteran is putting together the best campaign of her career, averaging 20.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while playing all 44 games and logging 31.4 minutes per outing. And she’s done it in a season where Indiana’s roster has been ravaged by injuries, losing key players like Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. On top of that, Mitchell became the first player this season to hit 100 three-pointers–and only the first in WNBA history to reach that milestone three times.
To reward her MVP-worthy season, the Indiana Fever amended Mitchell’s contract to include a time-off bonus. According to Scott Agness, WNBA teams can spend up to $50,000–counted against the salary cap–to encourage players to limit offseason play. Despite the incentive, Mitchell has chosen to suit up for an offseason tournament. In her defense, the Fever granted her a $20,000 time-off bonus, which restricts her participation in other professional leagues to 90 days or fewer. Unrivaled’s schedule fits within that window, running from Jan. 5, 2026, to early March, depending on the playoff structure, per Chloe Peterson. So, Mitchell is well within her rights to play in the league despite the bonus.
Unlike the W’s highest-paid player this season ( Kelsey is earning $249,244, the maximum supermax under the 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement), Caitlin Clark is once again likely to sit out the league. While it would make plenty of sense for her to play, especially to regain match fitness ahead of the 2026 WNBA season after suiting up for just 13 games this year due to injuries, Clark seems set to prioritize rest once more.
This comes after Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell was asked about Caitlin Clark playing this season. “How we approach it is we don’t really apply pressure,” Bazzell said. “Everyone who’s not currently in the league and who’s a top player, not just her, knows we’re a phone call away. It doesn’t mean there’s always going to be a spot because we have to fill spots. … But she’s one of the rare players who — she was first-team all W last year. She’s a great player. So we haven’t really approached those conversations. We aren’t in conversations.”
The husband of Unrivaled founder Napheesa Collier also added that he believes Caitlin Clark should play in the offseason, whether in Unrivaled or abroad. At the same time, he fully understands if she chooses not to, emphasizing that the decision ultimately rests with her and her team, as health should always be the top priority for any athlete.
Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports
Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports
That said, we’re in an era where the WNBA is asking players to skip Unrivaled or overseas leagues during CBA negotiations, as revealed by Satou Sabally and Gabby Williams. The move is clearly meant to protect player safety,but why would anyone pass up the opportunity to earn more money playing Unrivaled or abroad? So, seeing Caitlin Clark sit out this season definitely bodes well for the WNBA brand overall.
That said, the focus is now on the playoffs….
Caitlin Clark and co ready for Game 3?
The Indiana Fever have been the Cinderella story of the playoffs so far. No one gave them a chance against the Atlanta Dream, yet against all odds, they won the series in the deciding game. Moving on to the semifinals, expectations were low once again—but the Fever stunned everyone in Game 1, thanks to Kelsey Mitchell’s generational performance. She dropped a playoffs career-high 34 points, setting the tone for the series.
Mitchell has been in fantastic form throughout the playoffs, averaging 23.4 points over five games so far. But the Fever got a taste of life without her at full strength in Game 2 against the Aces. A’ja Wilson and company held Mitchell to just 13 points, leading the Aces to a dominant 22-point victory.
As the series shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Caitlin Clark and the Fever will be counting on the crowd to once again act as a sixth player, just like they did during the Atlanta series. But the question remains–will that be enough against an Aces team that appears to have figured out how to contain Mitchell? Stay tuned to find out!