The Indiana Fever are entering a crucial period following the firing of general manager Amber Cox. And while the front office searches for new leadership and looks to establish a clear direction for the future, WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita believes Indiana must first settle a fundamental question about its identity: who should be the face of the franchise?
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“You got to give the keys of this franchise to Caitlin or pick one,” DeMita said on her Courtside Club podcast. “If you’re going to give them to Kelsey, give them to Kelsey… If you’re giving the keys to Kelsey, you build the offense a little bit differently than if you’re giving the keys to Caitlin Clark.”
For DeMita, the choice of a franchise centerpiece is a no-brainer, and that player should be Caitlin Clark. However, even if the Fever ultimately decide otherwise, a clear decision still needs to be made.
“Why wouldn’t you give the keys to Caitlin Clark? I don’t know, but, like, give the keys to somebody. There’s a hierarchy in basketball that has to happen in the best teams in the world; at any level of basketball, there’s a hierarchy. There are players who are the franchise players. There are players who are role players. And there are players who, like, whatever they say goes. I believe the keys need to go to Caitlin Clark,” she added.
For much of their history, the Indiana Fever struggled to establish themselves as consistent contenders, despite eventually winning their first WNBA championship in 2012. However, the franchise has made significant strides since selecting Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, an addition that brought renewed attention and expectations to the organization.
Despite those strides, questions remain about whether the Fever are fully committed to building around their superstar. While Clark has undoubtedly been a key piece of Indiana’s offense, some fans and analysts believe she is still being treated as one part of the team’s system rather than the central figure around whom the entire roster is built.
Statistically, Clark has already established herself as the engine of the Fever’s offense, combining high usage with elite scoring and playmaking. This season, she averaged 22.3 points and 8.3 assists per game, won the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award, and earned a place on the All-WNBA First Team.
At the same time, Mitchell was equally important to Indiana’s offense this season. While Clark operated as the primary orchestrator, Mitchell served as the team’s prolific scoring weapon, producing a historic campaign of her own. She led the Fever in scoring with an incredible 24.7 points per game, the second-highest average in the WNBA. Mitchell also broke the league’s single-season records for total points, with 1,086, and three-pointers made, with 135.
Together, Clark and Mitchell statistically formed one of the most productive backcourt duos in WNBA history. They became the first guard duo in league history to simultaneously rank among the top three scorers, combining for an eye-popping 47 points per game. Their combined average marked the highest scoring output by any two teammates in WNBA history.
Unfortunately, that offensive firepower was not enough to carry Indiana beyond the first round of the playoffs, as the Fever were eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces. With the team’s postseason ambitions falling short, the need for change has become increasingly apparent. That process has already begun with team president Kelly Krauskopf stepping down and Cox being fired as general manager.
According to DeMita, establishing a clear hierarchy should be an important part of Indiana’s next steps as the franchise navigates its search for a new general manager and prepares to make decisions about its roster. Amid the hiring process and the decisions surrounding player signings and re-signings, the Fever need to determine who their team should be built around. And for DeMita, that answer is clear: Caitlin Clark.