Three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes has earned a reputation for being a staunch Caitlin Clark critic. Despite the constant pushback from Clark fans, the 53-year-old has not been shy about making her opinion of the Indiana Fever superstar clear.

One of Swoopes’ most controversial takes from this past season was when she revealed that “there are players who don’t wanna be” in the Fever squad because of all the hype surrounding Clark — a notion that Indiana players appeared to have refuted.

Swoopes went at it again in a recent episode of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast “No Chill.” This time around, Swoopes exposed the Fever’s big mistake this past season amid Clark’s incredible rookie campaign.

“Personally, here’s where I think [the Fever] didn’t do a very good job, and that was with Kelsey Mitchell, who’s an unrestricted free agent,” Swoopes said, via Women’s Fastbreak. “Because Kelsey Mitchell had a hell of a season this season, and I don’t think that she got the credit that she deserved.”

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell

Michael Chow-Arizona Republic

As Swoopes touched on in her statement, Mitchell is going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which means that she can potentially walk away from the Fever if she wants to.

According to Swoopes, the Fever failed to properly recognize Mitchell’s contributions to the team in 2024 after Indiana made their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. It is unclear, however, what Swoopes expected the Fever to do on the Mitchell front considering how the organization has already made it clear that re-signing the two-time All-Star is one of their top priorities this offseason.

Whatever the case might be, the fact of the matter is that Mitchell’s future in Indiana is anything but guaranteed.

The 5-foot-8 guard is currently in China for the offseason playing for the Shanxi Flame of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). Mitchell will return to America in time for the WNBA’s new season but at this point, it remains to be seen if she will stay with the Fever or take her talents elsewhere.