INDIANAPOLIS — Kelsey Mitchell drives right to the lane and bumps her body into Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Chanda before rising for a 7-foot floating jump shot.
Becoming only the second Indiana Fever player to score 5,000 career points, along with franchise legend Tamika Catchings, is far from her mind.
The Fever guard got back on defense, focused with no emotion. Mitchell stole the ball from Dream guard Allisha Gray and led the fast break. Scanning the court, weighing her options, the nine-year WNBA veteran opted for a 25-foot pull-up 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
The Dream called a timeout. Mitchell cracked a smile. Her 3 capped a 16-3 Fever run, in which Mitchell scored 13 points. Mitchell’s hot streak was needed as the Dream had secured a 43-42 lead following a 13-4 run in the first 4:35 of the second half.
Behind Mitchell’s “special heater moment,” as coach Stephanie White called it, the Fever defeated the Dream 83-71 in their first Commissioner’s Cup game Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“For me, it’s less about the accolade and more about the journey and the process,” Mitchell said. “I can recall what it looked like and what I thought it was gonna look like when it wasn’t so great for me. I try to walk a fine line between being excited and being humble, because I know what it was like and now I know what work can do. I’m just gonna try to keep doing that.”
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Mitchell was drafted second overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft. The Fever had a losing record in Mitchell’s first six seasons. Mitchell lost her father, Mark, in March 2024. “I was able to go and talk to him about every walk of life,” Mitchell told IndyStar in May 2025.
Mark’s legacy became Mitchell’s why. She helped lead the Fever to a 24-20 record in 2025, its most wins in a season. The Fever advanced to Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces. Mitchell suffered rhabomyolysis in the game, having “played literally till my wheels fell off,” Mitchell said in an October Instagram post.
“It was about reassuring myself that I belong,” Mitchell said Thursday when asked about how she stayed hopeful during the turbulent times of her career. “One thing is confidence. And then, over time, the organization started investing in and putting really big pieces around me.
”I’m only as good as the people around me. So having Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull and the young group that came in over the years has helped me be who I am. I don’t think I would be in this position without such a great group.”
Mitchell’s teammates applauded her as she approached the bench following her 3. Mitchell’s stoic face returned when she took her seat. But rookie Raven Johnson wouldn’t cease the celebration, clapping and telling her veteran, “good job.”
“I don’t have too much emotion, but they celebrate me enough for it always to mean more than what it looks like. Seeing my teammates be happy and be proud of me is always something I’ll never take for granted,” Mitchell said. “I want them to feel that about me. And so my emotion is always kind of what it is, but the pouring in from my group and our group over the course of the game was pivotal. I try to take the small victories where I can get them.”
Boston said seeing Mitchell surpass 5,000 points was “amazing” and lauded Mitchell for her consistency as a leader. Mitchell’s 20.6 points per game are the most on the Fever. She finished Thursday’s contest with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from 3.
“Kelsey was here before we got here, and she continues to give it her all and show up every single day, and we see that example in front of us,” Boston said. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening in her world; she just shows up, and she gives us everything. It makes me so excited to have a leader and a role model in Kelsey.”
The Fever were on a two-game losing streak entering Thursday. A viral exchange between Clark and White during the team’s 100-84 loss to the Portland Fire on Saturday added to the Fever’s frustrations.
Mitchell said Indiana’s culture was being “tested.”
The Fever met Monday for a team meeting to address their issues. White credited her players for being honest and transparent and not “shying away from difficult situations and difficult conversations.” White said the entire team “set the tone” this week in practice, but singled out Mitchell for having “great” pace all week.
White praised Mitchell for being more vocal this season compared to last. White called Mitchell an “ultimate pro,” one who stays calm amid tense moments.
The rudder and the anchor, Mitchell steers and steadies the Fever with care and grit. Mitchell earned another milestone Thursday. But she finds no boast in achievement.
The journey grounds her.
And so the stay Fever afloat.
“(Kelsey) understands the situation, and she understands moments. And so for her to be a steadying influence for our team is important,” White said.
Joshua Heron is an enterprise and Fever reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @HeronReports. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kelsey Mitchell shows humility amid history leading Fever to win: ‘They celebrate me enough’
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
