Fever Star Kelsey Mitchell Says It’s ‘Tough’ Being Caitlin Clark’s Teammate: ‘We Get A Lot of Flak’
Fever Star Kelsey Mitchell Says It’s ‘Tough’ Being Caitlin Clark’s Teammate: ‘We Get A Lot of Flak’
Natasha DyeMon, October 5, 2026 at 6:05 PM UTC
0
Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark on Aug. 23, 2026Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty“I don’t think people really understand how much we endure, man,” Mitchell told reporters -
Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell said it’s been “tough” being on the Fever since Caitlin Clark joined the team in 2024
“But playing with CC [Caitlin Clark] and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team,” she said
Mitchell told reporters it’s “hard” to play for “fans that may or may not like you”
Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell said it’s not easy being teammates with Caitlin Clark.
During her season exit interview on Saturday, Oct. 3, Mitchell, 30, said it was “tough” for her to play alongside Clark, 24, this season. A reporter asked the longtime Fever guard about “all the news from the Fever throughout the season” — likely referring to the claims that the fans in Indiana spout racist rhetoric to Black players — and whether or not she had “harder days” this season.
“Hell yeah, yeah, it was tough,” Mitchell said in response. “I think the hardest part about being a Fever girl —obviously, you guys know I’ve been a part of that a long time, but the last couple of years, guys, I don’t think people really understand how much we endure, man.”
Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark on Sept. 22, 2024Credit: Chris Marion/NBAE/Getty
She continued, “If I showed y’all my DM’s about the hate and, you know, like all of the stuff that comes with being a professional athlete, but specifically being an Indiana Fever basketball player.”
Mitchell said it’s “hard” to play for “fans that may or may not like you,” and added, “I think having to show up for people who don’t look at you and have the eyes, the star eyes, when they see me.”
Specifically regarding playing alongside Clark, Mitchell said it’s difficult because of the attention the former Hawkeyes star has received since entering the league in 2024. “But playing with CC, and having the eyes that she got, we get a lot of flak just for being on her team,” Mitchell said.
She added, “And I think that comes with a lot, too, and I just think that people gotta give us grace. I think this organization is unbelievable, man, but I think that when it comes to really trying to be yourself, it hasn’t always been easy.”
Advertisement
Fever fans’ behavior was called into question most notably during Game 2 of the Fever’s series with the Las Vegas Aces. Aces star A’ja Wilson got involved in a heated confrontation with a man at the Fever’s arena when he took a step away from his seat and pointed at her.
“I’m chilling, and if I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said. I don’t give a damn how you said it,” Wilson told reporters after the incident, adding, “The tone, that is unacceptable. You don’t step towards me. You never should step and point at me. Don’t point at s---. At all. Excuse my French, and God bless me, but that there is unacceptable.”
A’ja Wilson gets into it with a fan on Sept. 29, 2026Credit: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire
Earlier this season, a man was fired from his job at Hilton Grand Vacations after Aces’ Chelsea Gray said she received a racist DM from him following her team’s loss to the Fever.
In May 2025, reports circulated that racist comments were hurled at Angel Reese during a game at the Fever’s arena. The WNBA “strongly” condemned the hate “in all forms” and said they were “looking into the matter.”
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!
After the reports of racism against Reese, Clark told ESPN, “There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society. Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena — whether player or fan — to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that [investigation]. I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that.”
In 2024, Clark told The Athletic, “Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats,” and added, “Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization and the WNBA.”
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
