With the season nearing its end, the Indiana Fever find themselves in a precarious spot. Sitting in the middle of the standings, their playoff hopes hang by a thread. In such challenging times, praise from opponents is rare. Yet Kelsey Mitchell’s standout play has been so impactful that it drew admiration from an unexpected source: Azzi Fudd’s father.

Tim Fudd, the father of the UConn player, has time and again given his unfiltered opinion on the league, owing to his own experience playing. The latest one came in the form of appreciation for Mitchell snatching victory from the jaws of the Connecticut Sun. However, his opinion on the game did have some adverse effects.

Earlier, Tim took to X to praise the 38-point stint by the Indiana Fever player. Against the Sun, she buried 5 three-pointers and 6 assists to lead her team to the largest comeback win in Fever history. “It absolutely is amazing at what Kelsey Mitchell is doing with the Fever. I’ve said it for the last two seasons, but people have chosen to overlook her prolific scoring ability as if it is not top-notch,” he said in his X post.

However, he was not alone in praising Mitchell. She also earned praise from Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, along the rest of the WNBA community. With Clark currently sidelined with injury, Mitchell is leading the offense for the team. And what a way she has taken charge.

She is delivering a career-best run, averaging 19.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Some even pitched her name to enter the MVP race for this season. But when Tim Fudd praised her, he would not have expected backlash coming his way. Fudd claimed to praise Mitchell for the past two seasons and accused fans of overlooking her. However, fans were quick to debunk his claims.

Praising the Indiana Fever player earns Azzi Fudd’s father backlash

An X user dismissed Tim Fudd’s remarks, arguing that Kelsey Mitchell has been playing for eight years without receiving any support from him. They noted that the last two years have brought Mitchell the most attention of her career. Yet Fudd previously complained about the Fever having the most televised games. According to the user, his recent comments amounted to shade disguised as concern. But some defended Fudd, stating, “Tim Fudd has been a mystic season ticket holder for years, so yeah, I’m sure he knew who Kelsey Mitchell was before y’all even did.”

But other fans further added that there were simpler and more genuine ways to recognize Mitchell’s performance, such as praising her strong game directly, rather than framing it with an agenda. They emphasized that Mitchell is finally receiving the spotlight she had long been denied, but Fudd’s narrative reduced that progress to being overlooked.

Love her or hate her, Kelsey Mitchell can no longer be overlooked now. Her latest performance served as a redemption arc, coming just days after she missed a crucial shot in a tough loss to the Wings. Determined not to let history repeat itself, the Indiana Fever player stepped back onto the court and rose to the occasion, delivering when her team needed her most.