'That makes people pick their poison': Kelsey Mitchell on backcourt partnership with Caitlin Clark, All-Star prospects and more (Exclusive)

The Indiana Fever’s struggles don’t just stem from rookie Caitlin Clark experiencing rookie hiccups in the WNBA. It also coincides with guard Kelsey Mitchell missing all of training camp and both exhibition games while nursing an injured ankle.

The Fever (0-5) enter Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks (1-2) with Mitchell averaging 12.8 points on 35.5% shooting in 26.4 minutes, per game a stark dip from last year’s All-Star campaign (18.2 points on a 44.1% clip in 33.7 minutes per night).

Once Clark overcomes her learning curves and Mitchell shakes off her rust, however, the two could become one of the league’s most effective outside shooting duos. Through four seasons at the University of Iowa, Clark holds the record for most 3s in NCAA Division I women’s basketball (546). Through six seasons with the Fever, Mitchell ranks second on the franchise’s all-time list for most 3s (1,230).

“She’s trying to come back from that. But I think her leadership has been great,” Clark said of Mitchell. “She’s always been somebody that has been in my ear and is someone that really just wants me to be at my best. She’s always motivating me and having my back and wanting me to be successful. That’s something that gives me a lot of confidence too with being able to play with her.”

Kelsey Mitchell on Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and more

Mitchell spoke to Sportskeeda about her recent injury, how Clark has handled the season’s early hiccups and expectations for Aliyah Boston’s second season.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed

How have you adjusted since returning from your injury?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I feel good. I feel good with where I’m at. I’m still trying to find my flow with the team, chemistry wise. But I feel good about where I’m headed individually as far as my movement and how I feel.”

What are your next steps?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“Hopefully some wins collectively as a group. But individually, staying confident. I’m staying confident and staying in my spots and finding my angles. I’m finishing better. My finishing hasn’t been the best. But hopefully in the future. We’ll see.”

What were the challenges with missing training camp?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I just tried to stay patient. I know I needed to stay patient. I know everybody wants to be a part of training camp. I know I did. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. But in a humbling way and spiritually, I think it was the right call. I think it happened for a reason.”

Why do you feel that way?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I could’ve easily gone to 3x3 [national camp] with a bum ankle and it would’ve been worse. I was able to see my ankle, see how bad it was and sit my tail down. Hopefully all the rest I did take will put me in a position to be great now.”

You made All-Star for the first time in your career last season. How do you build off of that this season?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I think for me, everybody’s vision is already on somebody else or something else, anyway. So as long as I find a way to stay focused on what I need to do man, I think it will all fall in place. The most important part is controlling what I can control. I can’t control all of the stuff that’s going on. None of this stuff, I can’t control (points to the various television cameras). So I think for me, it’s about staying in my mindset and knowing what works for me and obviously controlling that.”

What has the extra attention been like so far?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“It’s been interesting. I think for the game, it’s been great. I’m excited. I don’t think there are any minuses. I think there are pluses to our sport with how much it’s growing. The attendance in Indiana and the city of Indianapolis is doing really great. Everything is happening. For me, I’m making sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and am I doing everything that I can.”

How do you think Caitlin has handled the ups and downs?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“From what I know and what I see, I think she’s doing a great job. I think she has a great handle on how to deal with the media and how to deal with the world. I think she’s doing a great job. From the standpoint of being young and having all of this, she’s really handled it amazingly. It could be worse.”

How about through a basketball lens with her play and the team’s record?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“Her ability to shoot the ball is really, really fun. I’m on the good end of it because I’m on the team. I think it works out. Her ability to shoot the ball is really great for us.”

To what extent have you tried to mentor her?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I think everybody has put so much on it already. I just try to get in where I can. If she needs me, she knows she can call on me. It’s my job for the ones that are not getting that spotlight and shine to stay focused. So for us, all of that stuff that is happening, my job is to get in where I can fit in and remind the group to stay focused.”

Given your two shooting backgrounds, how do you think you and Caitlin Clark can bring out the best in each other?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I think her ability to shoot the ball and my ability to move with as much pace as possible, I think that makes people pick their poison as far as coming off different plays and different actions. I think it plays in our favor. It’ll make people choose. Then you throw in AB, NaLyssa [Smith] and the rest of our group in there. It kind of makes the defense think a lot more.”

How do you all get to that point?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“The biggest part is, for one, keeping the main thing the main thing. Too much can get you off track. You have to stay focused on what the team needs and what you need individually as a person to bring to our team. It’s about staying focused. If not, it’ll mess everything else up. But two, know what you bring to the table. Caitlin brings a lot to the table already on and off the floor for Indiana. It’s our job to piggyback off of that and just fill in the gaps.”

Specifically with Aliyah Boston, how do you see her building off her rookie season?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I’m proud of her. I think there are always going to be stretches where you’re trying to figure out how to be a pro. Those stretches and those waves come in and out. When you learn to be a pro, you figure out what’s best for you. No one else can pick that for you. Her next maturation is focusing on what’s best for her, and not everybody else.”

What about the two-man game you’ve had with her?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“We’ll see. I think right now, we haven’t seen too many glimpses of it. When you do see it, I think the more we flow, the more we can find different gaps for each other. I think we’ll see more of it. It was really good [last season]. I like to play in movement. Her IQ is relatively high to be so young. I like to play in that space.”

Despite the early struggles, your interviews suggest you still feel encouraged with where things are going. What are you seeing?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“For the most part, we’re doing a decent job with staying together when games get tight. You guys saw that the last couple of games. The stretches get tight. We’re just a couple of steps off. That’s a good thing to see. That’s the progress you see early. More and more experience you get will help. It’ll be a different situation every time you get in tight games."

"But we’ll learn more and more how to be a pro with that experience. A lot of people want you to already know that coming in the door. That’s impossible. You can’t teach experience. Then knowing our strengths, knowing what works and isn’t working. And then defending the ball. We’ll have to defend the ball better.”

Do you know if you’ll get to play on USA Basketball’s 3x3 team for the Paris Olympics?

Kelsey Mitchell:

“I don’t know. We’ll see. I actually missed the deadline because of my ankle [injury]. I’m not really sure. I think they choose the teams in the next couple of weeks. We’ll see.