This Thursday, September 19th, the Indiana Fever entered their regular season finale against the Mystics with the No. 6 seed already secured in the playoffs. For the roster led by Sides, whether it was a win or loss didn’t matter, as their postseason position was locked. However, Head Coach Christie Sides was still “cautious” with minutes to ensure the team’s momentum wasn’t disrupted. Despite being a non-consequential game, it seems the head coach made a significant mistake.

Sides went with their usual starters, who went off on a smooth 11-0 run in the first quarter. But before the quarter came to a close, the team’s leading scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, collided with a Mystics player. She seemed a bit slower, possibly due to an ankle injury, but continued playing.

Soon after, she headed to the locker room with Athletic Trainer Todd Champlin. “Kelsey Mitchell has returned to the bench after heading to the locker with a hurt ankle” announced a post by Clark Resport on X. Eventually, being benched was a good sign but the severity of her injury remained unclear.

This might seem routine, but for Fever fans, it wasn’t. As they watched Mitchell get injured in a season finale just three days before their first playoff matchup, they quickly took to the comment section.

Mitchell’s injury was a shock for Fever’s fandom

While some fans prayed for Mitchell’s recovery, others criticized Christie Sides for her decision to let Mitchell play. With the playoff berth already secured, it was known the game wasn’t an important one. Resting key players instead, like Mitchell, who has been the leading scorer for the team since the post-Olympic break, before they face the 3rd-seeded Connecticut Sun would have deemed the right choice for many.

“Fever really let Kelsey Mitchell get injured in a meaningless game.. idiotic coaching”

Instead of letting key players come up, Sides could have used players like Victoria Saxton and Grace Berger. First, it would have given them more opportunity and would prove fruitful too. Coming off the bench, Kristy Wallace was the star for the team tonight with 17 points, 6 of 9 from the field.

“This game doesn’t mean anything, playoff spot clinched. They should have never played either of them [Caitlin Clark], and now Kelsey is hurt.”

The Fever take on the Suns in their first round of playoffs. And the Fever haven’t had a very good run with them this season, losing 3 of 4 games. The possibility of Kelsey Mitchell missing out the crucial and challenging clash has fans frustrated.

“If Kelsey Mitchell is hurt I’m going to lose my fucking mind WHY DID YOUR STARTERS EVEN STEP ON THE COURT. Fire sides fire the gm, get some actual basketball professionals in Indiana Jesus Christ.”

Entering the game, Indiana Fever seemed to have an edge, having won 2 of their last 3 matchups, with Mystics sitting 9th on the table and off the playoffs. But a few minutes after Mitchell exited, the Mystics took the lead and the Fever never recovered to lose 92-91. This had fans pointing out the role of the Fever veteran in the team.

“And you see how much the team needs her. Without her, this team is WEAK.”

Regardless, all the hope now is that Kelsey Mitchell returns healthy. Averaging 19.6 points with 46.7 % shooting from the field, she has been an absolute crucial part of the team, working wonders alongside the star rookie. More so since the last two months, where she has recorded merely one game below 20 points.

“Get well soon and come back”

The star guard has till Sunday to rehab and recover. The game tips off at 3 p.m. ET with quite a few playoff-experienced veterans on the Sun and a whole new setup for the Fever. With no worrying updates, hopefully, Mitchell returns for the anticipated clash.