Toughness has known Kelsey Mitchell when she was a little girl who chased a boy around the court to get her ball back. Toughness then knew Kelsey Mitchell, who stayed with the Indiana Fever year after year, watching the playoff hopes roll downhill. The toughness now knows her as she holds down the fort on an injury-ridden roster, because it was a championship contention that was promised. But for the little Kelsey who had an innate need to be the best, the campaign might have just grown to be so much more, after years of watching the seasons pass her by.
Heading into the season, the Fever boasted one of the best backcourts in the league. Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark formed a dynamic duo, combining for 38.4 points per game last season. But just before the scenes could be replayed, Clark excused herself to nurse her injuries. And Mitchell, she didn’t slow down. “I think there was a lot of good basketball played, and I think that I want to try it again.” That was what she signed up for– good basketball, so star player or not, she kept up.
The 8-year veteran is putting up career-high numbers, averaging 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, standing tall as Indiana’s bright spot during what has been a grueling season.
“Gonna need y’all to say her name when talking about MVP,” were the words of the only player to have her jersey retired by the Indiana Fever to date, Tamika Catchings. Kelsey had just put up a 26-point, 8-assist, and 3-rebound performance against the Chicago Sky, carrying them without a true point guard. Then, when the Dallas Wings threatened to hand an embarrassing defeat, she rallied her team to cut down a 17-point deficit to one.
If MVP is an offensive leader, someone with the best stats, and who the team can’t hold on without, then Mitchell is giving us every reason to look at her. “You got to talk about Kelsey Mitchell, right?” Dawn Staley questioned.
Frontrunners like A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier have all but cemented their positions, but the Fever guard is quietly sneaking in. For starters, we are talking about the top scorer in the league this season with 661 points across 33 games. If the Fever make a deep playoff run, don’t be surprised if Kelsey Mitchell comes close to Wilson’s 1000-point season. No breaks. No excuses. It’s been pure grind and resilience from Mitchel, molding into the role her team needs.
Yes, she’s racked up 18 twenty-point games this season, which is just two behind Napheesa Collier, who leads the league in the most 20-point games. And she has the most 3-pointers made since the All-Star break with 33. But when the Fever ran out of point guards, she also filled in for the duty. In her last five games, she’s racked up 25 assists, showing that her playmaking game is growing just as much as her scoring. And it isn’t simple.
Kelsey Mitchell forgot limitations
It has been about 9 years since Kelsey Mitchell last played point guard. But when it was asked of her, she didn’t hesistate. Sacrificing, playing out of position, doing things that she doesn’t normally do, and going on while it might be uncomfortable– Lexie Hull noticed her for it. “I think Kelsey is not giving herself enough credit,” she says.
With Napheesa Collier potentially out for at least two weeks with an ankle injury, you can’t help but include the “silent assassin,” as Candace Parker calls her, in the MVP conversation. Even her teammate Aliyah Boston echoed the same sentiment.
“I’m like, Kelsey is dominating. Kelsey is putting up crazy numbers, and like, I think what’s also standing out too is Kelsey’s assist numbers are also going up. Like, I think she had a career-high assist the other night against Chicago, and when you look at it, it’s like she’s passing that ball. And so, definitely, she needs to be in those conversations because, when you think about it, her importance to the squad, the numbers she’s putting up, I mean, it’s undeniable,” she said in her podcast with Parker.
Who would’ve imagined we would be talking about an Indiana player other than Caitlin Clark for the MVP? That’s just how phenomenal she has been this season. This also sets the stage perfectly for the Fever’s future. Once Caitlin Clark returns, expect this backcourt to carry the team on their own. “Splash sisters,” perhaps? Candace Parker certainly shares the same sentiment.
“And I’m telling you, when Caitlin gets back, it’s going to be scary from a backcourt standpoint because the two of them, with the ball in their hands or without it, that’s a threat,” she said on the Post Moves podcast with Aliyah Boston.
Whether that happens this season remains to be seen, but the foundation the Fever are building is one to be on the lookout for.
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