she still had another free throw but what you're seeing is Caitlyn now is able to push the ball up the floor she's able to hit those get ahead passes awesome I mean she just steps up in big moments that's just what she's done she's done it all year and um I'm really happy for for her she's got a ton of confidence and she's been huge for our team Kelsey Mitchell's career with the Indiana Fever has been a wild ride from being the second overall draft pick to becoming their second highest scorer ever she's seen it all but now she's facing a huge decision that could change everything what's going on with Mitchell and why is it so important for the fever before we move on I'd like to ask you a small favor if you appreciate this content please take a second to like this video And subscribe to the channel over 98% of you watch the videos without subscribing it costs you nothing but it makes a huge difference to us so did you click the Subscribe button great thank you so much now back to the video all right so the Indiana Fe have been struggling big time we're talking four different coaches in seven years and Four Seasons with singled digigit wins that's rough but through all of this Kelsey Mitchell has been shining like a diamond in the rough she's been putting up numbers and keeping the fever's hopes alive now here's where things get complicated the fever have a big decision to make they can either offer Mitchell a core qualifying offer or risk losing her to free agency it's like a game of B basketball chess and the fever are trying to figure out their next move so what's this core qualifying offer all about well it's pretty sweet for Mitchell if the fever go this route they get exclusive negotiation rights with her but here's the kicker it comes with a minimum one-year supermax salary of $241,000 that's a nice bump from her current $212,000 not bad right but wait there's more the fever actually have some wiggle room in their budget Erica Wheeler's $100,000 contract is coming off the books so they've got some extra cash to play with it's like finding money in your couch cushions but way more exciting now you might be wondering what the fever's GM Lindon has to say about all this well she's got some thoughts uh dun said Kelsey is a classic example of somebody that's been here six or seven years and never been in the playoffs and that's tough being in losing Seasons hopefully these last two years have reassured her that the direction that we're going is up you can tell Dunn really wants Mitchell to stick around she even said I want Kelsey to be happy I want her to feel like she can achieve all the goals that she has here but that remains to be unseen it's like she's trying to convince Mitchell to stay without actually begging smart move done but here's the thing it's not just about the money or the team's Direction Mitchell's got to be thinking about her Legacy her future and what she wants to achieve in her career does she want to be the player who turns things around for the fever or is she looking for a fresh start somewhere else imagine if Mitchell decides to stay the fever could build their whole strategy around her she's already their second leading scorer of all time so why not go all in but if she leaves it's back to the drawing board for Indiana they'd have to find a new star to build around and that's not easy and let's not forget about the fans they've been through the ringer with all these losing Seasons keeping Mitchell could be a sign that things are looking up it's like a promise to the fans that better days are coming all right let's talk about the game changer that's got everyone buzzing enter Caitlyn Clark the rookie sensation who's turning heads and breaking records left and right this girl is not just good she's redefining what it means to be a rookie in the WNBA you know who's impressed none other than the legendary subir herself and when subd talks you better believe everyone listens she's been raving about Clark's impact on the game especially when it comes to Pace bird said pace of play Trump's physicality W experience is pace of play trumps physicality it trumps size it can Trump um experience it's really hard it can have your head spinning that's High Praise coming from one of the greatest to ever do it but here's the thing it's not just about speed Clark's got this uncanny ability to push the ball up the floor and hit those ahead passes it's like she's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers I see in Caitlyn what I see in Kelsey Mitchell they're just like ramming it down people's throats and it's really hard it's it can it can have your head spin she still had another free throw but what you're seeing is Caitlyn now is able to push the ball up the floor she's able to hit those get ahead passes and as the season goes on and teams start feeling that fatigue Clark's style becomes even more deadly now you might be thinking but wait isn't the WNBA known for its physical play how's Clark handling that well according to bird Clark's adapting like a pro she said she's definitely getting used to it which is trouble for everybody else imagine that a rookie not just surviving but thriving in the physicality of the league let's talk about how Clark and Mitchell could work together Kelsey Mitchell was huge in that fourth quarter you and her combined for 10 threes how important of a role did she play in closing this game out good thing for women's basketball um I'm playing a along at this kid so it makes everything you know a little bit more dramatic and like the people are coming out to see this person so picture this Mitchell the seasoned scorer with a Killer Instinct paired up with Clark the rookie Phenom who can dish out assists like they're going out of style it's like peanut butter and jelly but for basketball Mitchell's got this ability to create her own shot and score from anywhere on the court now add Clark's vision and passing skills to the m suddenly Mitchell's getting even better looks and the defense is scrambling to keep up it's a nightmare for opponents but a dream come true for fever fans and let's not forget about Clark's own scoring ability this girl's been breaking records left and right in college now she's bringing that Firepower to the pros imagine trying to guard both Clark and Mitchell who do you focus on pick your poison because either way you're in trouble but it's not just about offense Clark's got this energy that's infectious she pushes the pace keeps the defense on their toes and creates opportunities out of thin air pair that with Mitchell's experience and Leadership and you've got a back Hort that could rival any in the league now here's where it gets really interesting Clark's arrival isn't just about improving the team's performance it's about changing the entire culture of the fever for years they've been stuck in this cycle of rebuilding but with Clark there's the sense of excitement this feeling that something big is about to happen and you know what that excitement might just be the key to keeping Mitchell around think about it if you're Mitchell and you've been through all these tough Seasons wouldn't you want to stick around to see what this new dynamic duo could do it's like being on the ground floor of something potentially huge but let's be real for a second building a team around two high-scoring guards isn't without its challenges you've got to make sure there's enough ball to go around and you need the right Supporting Cast to complement their skills it's a delicate balance but if the fever can pull it off watch out all right let's talk about the future of the Indiana Fever imagine this Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlyn Clark leading the charge together it's like a Basketball Dream Come True right two high-scoring guards both with the ability to light up the scoreboard and make Defenders look silly but it's not just about the points it's about the energy the excitement and the potential to turn this franchise around picture Mitchell with her lightning quick first step and deadly three-point shot paired up with Clark's incredible Court vision and ability to make plays out of thin air so yeah as I mentioned Kelsey Mitchell's ball and Caitlin continuing to impress and just she's going to break records nonstop for the next couple years it's just going to be a constant record awesome I mean she just steps up in big moments that's just what she's done she's done it all year and I'm really happy for for her she's got a ton of confidence and she's been huge for our team it's like having two conductors for an orchestra each bringing their own unique style to create something magical on the court but here's the thing building a team around two high-scoring guards isn't as easy as it sounds you've got to make sure there's enough ball to go around it's like trying to share a pizza with your best friend when you're both starving sure it's delicious but but someone might end up feeling a little short changed and let's not forget about defense when you've got two offensive powerhouses like Mitchell and Clark you need to make sure you've got some defensive Specialists to balance things out it's like having two race cars but for getting to invest in good breaks you need both to win the race right so how does Mitchell's free agency decision impact the fever strategy going forward well it's huge if Mitchell stays the fever can build their entire game plan around this dynamic duo they can focus on finding complimentary pieces Shooters who can spread the floor Defenders who can cover for Mitchell and Clark and big players who can clean up the glass but if Mitchell leaves that's a whole different ball game the fever would have to go back to the drawing board they'd need to find another St a pair with Clark or maybe even change their entire playing style it's like trying to bake a cake and realizing halfway through that you're out of eggs you either find a substitute or start over with a new recipe now let's talk playoffs if the fever managed to keep Mitchell and develop Clark their chances of making the postseason Skyrocket we're talking about two players who can take over games create their own shots and make their teammates better it's like having a cheat code in a video game suddenly everything becomes a little bit easier if as the season gets later into like playoff runs if you start to see we embrace it I'm pretty our organ can feed off of it our you know state of Indiana so I think for us we going to utilize this energy but it's not just about Talent it's about chemistry about finding that perfect balance the fever would need to surround Mitchell and Clark with the right Supporting Cast they'd need players who can do the Dirty Work setting screens grabbing rebounds playing tough defense it's like building a puzzle Mitchell and Clark might be the centerpieces but you need all the other pieces to complete the picture and let's not forget about the impact on the rest of the league a fever team with both Mitchell and Clark would be must see TV other teams would have to game plan specifically for this backcourt Duo it's like when a new superhero teamup movie comes out suddenly everyone's talking about it and the whole landscape changes but here's the million dooll question can the fever pull it off can they convince Mitchell to stay develop Clark into the star we all think she can be and build a winning team around them it's not going to be easy the WNBA is full of talented teams and smart front offices the fever would need to be creative strategic and maybe a little bit lucky think about it if everything falls into place we could be looking at the birth of a new WNBA Powerhouse the fever could go from perennial Lottery team to playoff Contender overnight it's like watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly a complete transformation for more Hoops videos that cover the latest and greatest stories click that 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