\u201cWhy Paige? Why not Caitlin?\u201d That was the question echoing across NBA and WNBA circles after ESPN\u2019s celebratory post on the WNBA\u2019s record-breaking 2.3 million attendance milestone. The post was historic, but the image of Paige Bueckers attached sparked debate. At a time when Indiana Fever superstar redefined the league\u2019s reach by driving viewership by 300% in 2024 and contributing 26.5% to the WNBA\u2019s total economic activity, fans and NBA players wondered why the league\u2019s biggest headline wasn\u2019t framed around her. After all, Clark and the Golden State Valkyries have been the two biggest engines behind the W\u2019s attendance explosion this season.<\/p>\n
To be precise, WNBA officials recently announced league attendance has surpassed 2.5 million fans over 226 games\u2014eclipsing the previous single-season record set in 2002 (with 16 teams and more games)\u2014with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season.<\/p>\n
Besides, the news reached the NBA. Warriors icon Draymond Green openly questioned the choice, asking why Bueckers was the face of the celebration. His discontent was rooted in the fact that the Dallas Wings play in the third-smallest arena, with a capacity of 7,000. And Green\u2019s response reminded that the Indiana Fever and the Golden State Valkyries have carried the WNBA\u2019s surge, with the Valkyries selling out their 18,064-seat arena and the Fever pulling in a league-best with 577,979 fans.<\/p>\n
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WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita agreed with the NBA player. \u201cI thought it was funny because Draymond had a point, and he went in a very roundabout way of saying it like, \u2018Why are you using Paige? Why not use somebody from the Valkyries? Why not use somebody from the Indiana Fever?\u201d she chimed on the latest podcast.<\/a> \u201cI mean, you could use a Kelsey Mitchell photo. If you\u2019re going by how well they\u2019ve played and also attendance, Kelsey Mitchell should be the photo that they use.’\u201d And boy, was she right!<\/p>\n Mitchell has been the Fever\u2019s heartbeat in Clark\u2019s absence. The seven-year veteran is averaging 20.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 rebounds, ranking among the league\u2019s top scorers. She hasn\u2019t just filled the void, she\u2019s kept Indiana Fever competitive during one of the roughest stretches in franchise history. But her value extends beyond the hardwood. According to Spotrac, Mitchell is Indiana\u2019s highest-paid player and the league\u2019s second-highest earning athlete. Under the ongoing one-year contract, Mitchell earns $249,244 this season, just behind Jackie Young at $252,450.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n According to Spotrac, Mitchell is the highest-paid player in the league this season under her single-year \u201csupermax\u201d contract worth $249,244 for 2025. Only Jackie Young exceeds her on average two-year earnings ($252,450), but Mitchell leads in base salary.<\/p>\n