The Indiana Fever had a successful season despite facing an absurd number of obstacles along the way. A lot of that success fell on the shoulders of one player in particular: Kelsey Mitchell. She is the only current member of the Fever who has endured the many ups and downs, making her experience a valuable asset. Indiana was the least successful franchise in the WNBA when Mitchell first came on the scene eight years ago, and it quickly became one of the league's most interesting teams in 2024 after the much-anticipated arrival of Caitlin Clark. The chemistry between Mitchell and Clark is one of the most dynamic in the entire WNBA.
In the offseason, the Fever only re-signed Mitchell to a one-year super-max deal for the 2025 season after she made it clear she would feel out the free agency market. Indiana just simply couldn't let her go and this year proved why. Mitchell had one of the best seasons of her career, leading to an MVP candidacy and possibly an All-WNBA First Team recognition. This offseason, the pressure is on the Fever even more to bring her back because any team would be ecstatic to have a Kelsey Mitchell on its roster. Indiana GM Amber Cox was very direct and to the point during her time with the media on Thursday morning.
"I'm going to sound like a broken record from last year. The priority will be Kelsey Mitchell, and making sure she remains in a Fever jersey," Cox said.
The Fever nearly made a trip to the Finals because of Mitchell's elite play. It's a positive sign for fans to see the early aggressiveness, or rather, intentions of the front office on prioritizing keeping key players together. Indiana has a great young player in Caitlin Clark alongside an experienced, fast-paced Kelsey Mitchell. The two really complement each other's games very fluidly. While facing what turned out to be a total of six season-ending injuries by the time it was all said and done, Mitchell was the glue that kept the Fever together. Her many double-figure performances solidified the resiliency of a depleted team.
An impressive season ended with a scary injury for Kelsey Mitchell
In Game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces, Kelsey Mitchell played until her body literally couldn't anymore. Shortly following the start of the third quarter, she slowly collapsed to the floor in what was later described as "extreme cramping" in her lower body. The arena went silent as Mitchell laid on the floor for several minutes before being helped to the locker room. Aces and Fever players and coaches felt the impact of her injury, taking a moment to send their well-wishes as she exited the arena. Her impact and passion are contagious and it showed when the Fever went on to force OT when many thought they would fold without their best player. Instead, they rallied for her.
Mitchell was taken to a local hospital where she was given fluids. On Wednesday, a day after the injury, she provided fans with an update via her social media accounts, expressing gratitude to everyone for their support. Mitchell expects to make a full recovery as she comes out on the other side of a scary experience. She is as tough as they come. In fact, she has only missed five games in her eight-year career in the WNBA.
Kelsey Mitchell summarized it best amid her injury, stating, "I played literally til my wheels fell off." It's not just stats that make her such a valuable player, it's her grit and visible heart she puts out every single time she's around the game—and, quite frankly, outside of it too. Depending on what exactly comes out of the CBA this offseason, Fever fans should still be very optimistic that Mitchell's future in Indiana is unfinished.