On a team that lost six players for the rest of the season ahead of the playoffs and others who suffered minor injuries, such as the Indiana Fever, there was one who stood firm: Kelsey Mitchell.
The 29-year-old guard had a great performance this year, which not only led her to be one of the finalists for the league MVP, but also earned her the respect and love of fans and teammates.
Kelsey receives huge show of support
Mitchell had 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes of action when she left Game 5 of the Semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces. She had just scored a three-pointer when she was seen rubbing her leg in obvious pain and leaning on the referee, who helped her lie down.
She later revealed that she suffered from “rhabdomyolysis,” in which her “muscles stopped producing and reached their maximum capacity.”
With Kelsey off the court, the Fever continued to battle the Aces, and although they were eliminated, their players managed to salvage some positives from this shared year.
On her official Instagram account, Kelsey shared 20 posts with her 120,000 followers that summarized her year with the Fever.
“Had to get to it different than everybody else. Grief had me excited for a small piece of it…indifferent for the majority of it. Charged it ALL to the game,” Kelsey began.
“Ain’t no life jacket come for me, word to Him. Pops blueprint kept me in survival mode… that survival made me. I don’t know what it all really meant… just that it meant I stood on all 10 about it. The motto remains: shut up and go hunting. Zero, gone,” she concluded the caption.
Of course, her fans didn’t hesitate to show their gratitude and affection for her dedication, but they weren’t the only ones. Her Indiana teammates also made their presence felt:
“So lucky to be your teammate!!! Proud of you, Kels,” wrote Caitlin Clark. “Everyone’s GOAT,” said Sophie Cunningham, and Aliyah Boston commented, “You’re the realest in the game. Proud of you, Kelsssss.”
Aari McDonald added: “Truly one of the best,” while Sydney Colson wrote “Realest of real.” “Lefty, you are the coldest!! It was an HONOR to play with you this season! Love you,” said Odyssey Sims.
Natasha Howard went the extra mile and left a warm message for Mitchell: “Kelz I’m super grateful that I had the opportunity to play with you and get to know you as a person. I already know how you are as a person, but you as a person is priceless and I’m thankful that I can call you family, hopefully we can be playing next to each other again love you longtime 0.“
Meanwhile, only Caitlin, Boston, and Makayla Timpson have contracts through 2026, so the rest of the team are free agents, including Mitchell. However, although the team has not provided any information about next year’s roster, they have assured that keeping Kelsey is their priority.
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