Newest Kelsey Mitchell Development Bodes Well for Fever’s Championship Aspirations
The Indiana Fever experienced and overcame the first big adversity of the season. After a tough loss to the Golden State Valkyries and an ugly blowout defeat at the hands of the Portland Fire that caused much debate about Caitlin Clark’s defense and a viral argument between her and Stephanie White, the Fever rallied and beat the Atlanta Dream 83-71.
But this might not be the end when it comes to facing and surviving challenges. A team with as many eyes on it as the Fever and championship aspirations is bound to face more struggles and adversity as the season goes on. What allows teams to overcome those challenges consistently and reliably is a strong culture, and that culture is usually built, driven, and maintained by veteran players.
For the Fever, that includes Kelsey Mitchell, who is not only one of the best players on the team but is also taking a step forward as a vocal leader, according to Stephanie White—a development that will only boost the Fever’s ability to meet any following adversity head-on.
“She’s been more vocal this year than I’ve ever heard her most of last year,” White said about Mitchell in the postgame media availability. “I’m really proud of her. She’s taking ownership.”
White also said, “When she uses her voice, it matters. It resonates.”
Kelsey Mitchell had to endure a lot of hard times with the Fever
Indiana wasn’t always a great place to be in the WNBA, and Kelsey Mitchell knows that better than anyone. After she was drafted second overall in 2018, the Fever missed the playoffs six years in a row and rarely finished a season with more than six wins. Then, they were blessed with back-to-back number-one picks, landed Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, and finally became a playoff team and subsequent title contender.
Those years of losing gave Mitchell a perspective on hard times and adversity that her younger co-stars don’t have. Having her speak up more and be a more vocal leader will be incredibly valuable as the Fever chase a championship.
The win over Atlanta could be a momentum-changer
The Fever entered the season as one of the undisputed title favorites. They didn’t look much like it to start the season, but securing a win over the Dream, another contender and a top-two team in the league right now, after the week they just had, can fuel a new stretch of the season.
Indiana’s next game will be against the New York Liberty and will present another opportunity for a statement victory against a projected title contender.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.