Kelsey Mitchell made it clear that she is going to be "selfish" when deciding where to sign as an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming WNBA offseason.
If she's talking about being "selfish" in the financial sense, that would mean re-signing with the Indiana Fever.
Article V, Section 8(c) of the WNBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement CBA) states that Mitchell's eligibility for a veteran Supermax contract (which she had with the Fever this past season) is only an option if she re-signs with the Fever rather than signs with another team.
If she joined another team, Mitchell would only be eligible for the standard veteran maximum salary, not the Supermax.
Difference Between a Supermax and a Standard Contract for Kelsey Mitchell
The exact 2027 salary cap hasn't been established, so there isn't yet a definitive dollar amount for either potential salary Mitchell can receive.
What's for sure is that the 2026 salary cap of $7 million could receive a maximum 14% increase for 2027.
If that was the case, a one-year Supermax salary for Mitchell could be worth up to $1,582,000 if she stayed with the Fever.
In that same 14% scenario, the standard maximum contract she could receive if she signed with another team would be $1,344,700.
That makes for a $237,300 difference, which is more money than Mitchell has made in every season of her WNBA career except for the previous too. It's a lot of money to potentially leave on the table for a player who intends to be "selfish" this offseason.
It's worth noting that the same rule applies for a sign-and-trade. Article V, Section 3(f) of the CBA states that Indiana cannot sign Mitchell to a Supermax deal to a contract that hinges on her immediately being traded to another team.
This is not to say that Mitchell can't be traded. If the Fever signed her to a Supermax deal then decided to trade her for some reason later in on the season, her Supermax contract would carry over to her next team. But she trade can't be written into the initial agreement.
This also doesn't guarantee that the Fever will give Mitchell a Supermax. But they did last season and surely understand that they will probably need to do so again to maximize their chances of bringing her back to the franchise.
In other words, if Mitchell is wearing another team's jersey next season, her reason for doing so will not be because of the money.
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