That was the longest 10.7 seconds for the Indiana Fever. The Fever held a 1-point lead, and the Seattle Storm had all the momentum. But Kelsey Mitchell decided that it was time to come alive. She took the inbound pass from Sophie Cunningham and just blew past Storm defenders to make a layup. Even with that, it wasn’t over as Skylar Diggins and Co. were quickly on the other end trying to go for a three-pointer to force OT. However, Aliyah Boston drew a personal foul and buried one of her free throws to close out the game. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Fever did have a dodgy game.
After dominating for the first two quarters, they looked like faltering in the final moments once again. Storm crawled back from a 13-point deficit and was looking to press the neck. However, the Fever sustained through their team effort. Mitchell came up with two clutch baskets in the final seconds. Even after that, her overall performance in this game was pretty underwhelming as she scored just 9 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals while going 0-8 from the three-point line. This performance came just after Paige Bueckers gave her appreciation to the Fever veteran, saying, “I mean, she’s just one of the toughest people to guard in the league.”
She further said, “I’m sure if you ask around, you can find a lot of those same answers. But just her quickness and her ability to score at all three levels. And also her ability to not just relent to tough defense and take the easy way out, but continue to fight through and get the ball, get to spots that she wants to get to. So overall, she’s just a tough guard.”
Mitchell has made her mark by taking over the reins from Clark and has averaged 19.2 points and 4.2 assists in the last five games. However, her performance against the Storm was pretty frustrating for the fans, drawing some heated reactions while the Storm were looking dangerous and were slated for a comeback.
Fans pile on Kelsey Mitchell following her disappointing showing against the Seattle Storm
Fortunately, Mitchell had plenty of support. Sophie Cunningham came up good with 17 points and compensated for her outside shooting by going 4-5 from the 3-point line. Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard were a force in the paint, scoring 16 and 21 points each. Boston had a double-double. Even if they eked out the win, it got real close in the end, and Mitchell’s disappointing display was the victim of the axe from Fever fans.
Kelsey Mitchell. I’m sorry honey, but you don’t have it tonight. You’re still awesome. Play through Sophie, Howard, and Aari. They came to play.
— Jaime Lardis (@JaimeLardis) August 3, 2025
“Play Sophie and Lexie. Get Mitchell out of there,” one fan wrote. This was a pretty reactionary take from Mitchell’s frustrating play as Lexie Hull failed to get on the points board and could only put up 2 assists and 2 rebounds. Cunningham did have an outstanding night, but considering Mitchell’s form, she was worth giving that extra rope. And she did come up big in the final seconds, so it was worth it to keep her in the game after all. Another fan echoed that sentiment, writing, “All right, I’m done get Kelsey Mitchell off the floor.”
Mitchell is prone to occasional off-days where she struggles noticeably. On her bad days, she goes on drives without any breaks and takes difficult shots; she is extremely inaccurate from the outside. However, she was slightly different today as the 29-year-old tried to distribute the ball a lot more than she had in some of her previously questionable games. And that is evident in her 5 assists and 2 steals. She still tried to get back her mojo, but it just wasn’t her day.
Another fan voiced their opinion, writing, “Kelsey Mitchell so overrated.” The No. 0 guard is still the best scorer on the Fever team, averaging 19.9 points per game. And before this, she almost single-handedly led them to multiple wins. Her consistency has rarely dwindled since the poor start, and she is still comfortably among the best players while giving it her all.
However, that was barely enough to convince the fans, as one concluded, “Kelsey Mitchell had a stinker tonight.” She had a bad game tonight, which happens to even the best of the best. But she remains a vital cog for Stephanie White. Even in this game, when the chips were down, she came up with clutch points. Her experience and hustle make her a valuable asset to the side, and when someone like Bueckers has given her approval, it’s hard to ignore Mitchell.
After this win, the Fever now have 5 consecutive wins, which include victories over the Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces, and the Seattle Storm. Even after some heated reactions to this game, the Fever fans will hope this was a one-off game for Mitchell and not a return to her early-season form. Stephanie White and Co. will wait for Caitlin Clark’s return, but Mitchell will continue to hold that scoring mantle for them.
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