The Indiana Fever surprised plenty of people by making it into the WNBA playoffs last season and giving the Las Vegas Aces — who would go on to win the entire thing — a run for their money. The two teams battled it out night after night on their way toward the championship match, with Kelsey Mitchell leading a team that suffered several injuries throughout the 2025 season.
Then, inconceivably, Mitchell went down with her own injury during the third quarter of the final game between the teams. She appeared to freeze up; the Fever later reported Mitchell suffered from an episode of rhabdomyolysis, which caused her body to cramp up.
While some players might have been thwarted by the injury, Mitchell told reporters this week that it was necessary fuel for the 2026 season. “If I gotta do it all over again and let my body fall out the way it did, I'm going to do it. I love the game that much. I love competing that much," she said. "Lord willing, it don't happen again like that. Hopefully it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but I'm going to die on my sword every game, every time."
Kelsey Mitchell will lead the Indiana Fever this season
Mitchell, who was cleared to return to the court two weeks after suffering the injury, will be a leader for the Fever this season — just as she has in the past. And while her mentality might surprise (or even worry) some, it's indicative of the kind of player the Fever's front office likes to bring onto the team.
The Fever's roster is made up of players who have demonstrated they can work hard, and the team has plenty to prove this season. Caitlin Clark, who missed most of the 2025 season due to a series of her own injuries, is fully healthy and will be back on the court alongside Mitchell (as well as Lexi Hull and Aliyah Boston).
Despite the enthuasiasm both Mitchell and Clark have expressed this week about being back on the hardwood, the Fever's experiences last year will impact how the team plans for and around the 2026 season. Both Mitchell and Clark's injuries were likely the result of overworking and/or overuse; rhabdomyolysis typically occurs when an athlete is suffering from dehydration and has overworked themselves without resting. Clark's own injuries appeared to travel across her body — first she suffered a left quad problem, and then contended with groin issues on both sides of her body and an injuried ankle.
Add us as a preferred source on Google