There’s a case to be made that Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has been the best player in the 2025 WNBA postseason.
Through four postseason games, Mitchell is averaging 26 points per game while shooting an absurd 48.6% from the field and 50% from behind the three-point arc. This includes a 34-point outing against the Las Vegas Aces on September 21, where Vegas simply had no answer for what No. 0 was cooking up on the court, which led to the Fever taking Game 1 in that WNBA Semifinals series.
The Fever have needed to depend on Mitchell even more than usual this season, given that superstar guard Caitlin Clark has only competed in 13 contests this season because of various soft tissue injuries.
While it has been a shame that these two aren’t playing together, the fact that Indiana has made it this far and is playing great without Clark is a testament to the team culture and chemistry that has been built in the locker room this year.
Sep 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates a basket during game two of round one against the Atlanta Dream for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Kelsey Mitchell Sends Strong Message About Fever Team Culture
Kelsey Mitchell was interviewed on ESPN’s NBA Today show on September 22. And at one point, she shared several strong messages about the core players that Indiana has built through the draft, along with praising her backcourt mate.
“Big shoutout to the organization, taking time to rebuild. I think our draft picks ended up coming big. Lexie Hull was a big draft pick, and then you get Caitlin, and you get AB,” Mitchell said, per an X post from @_girltalk.
“You accumulate that together with my experience, and having to go through a couple things before they got there, I think it was a match made in heaven, really,” Mitchell added. “Because I was still at a young age to still vibe and get to know these players for who they were.
“And then you get Caitlin, who changed the world, changed the dynamic of basketball. And as a friend, and as a player, you’ve got to appreciate her, because certain doors have opened because she has come to the Fever. And you have to respect that, and I love the teammate and person in her, because she has accepted it with so much grace, and even welcomed us with open arms to make this thing happen,” Mitchell added.
“So I think it just took a lot of big pieces to make it what it is now,” she concluded.
Kelsey saying her experience + the org’s the draft picks in Lexie, AB, and CC was a “match made in heaven” to kickstart Fever’s organic growth.
She says Caitlin “changed the world & dynamic of basketball and opened doors coming to the Fever” and values her as a person too ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zsgAl4Az2Q
— allison (@_girltalk) September 22, 2025
The Fever were perennial bottom dwellers in the WNBA standings before Clark came around, and it’s cool to hear Mitchell recognize her teammate’s impact on that, even when Clark isn’t able to make an impact on the court right now.
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