Kelsey Mitchell reached 5,000 points Thursday, joining Tamika Catchings as the only other Fever player to do so. Catchings took 450 games; Mitchell did it in 280. Her achievement prompted her teammates, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, to react.

The Fever veteran led the night in an 83-71 win over Atlanta with 25 points, helping her to surpass 5,000 points in her WNBA career. It makes her just the second Fever player to enter this bracket after Catchings, who finished her career with 7,000+ points.

After the game, Clark couldn’t contain her excitement about Mitchell’s milestone, offering admiration for her senior teammate. “Just super happy for her,” Clark said. “Lucky that she’s my teammate, so congrats, Kelz.”

Speaking in the post-game press conference, Boston was asked about Mitchell’s milestone as well. In reply, the Indiana center delved into Mitchell’s work ethic that motivates every player in the Fever locker room.

“I say it all the time, Kelsey is one of the biggest pieces of this franchise,” Boston said. “I mean, Kelsey was here before we got here, continued to give it her all, continued to show up every single day. And we see that example in front of us. So, to see her get all these accomplishments and pass all these milestones, it’s just so amazing as a teammate because I show up, and Kelsey shows up every day.”

“It doesn’t matter what’s happening in her world. She just shows up, and she gives us everything. It just makes me so excited to have a leader and role model in Kelsey.”

Mitchell has surpassed the 5000-point mark in 280+ games. Meanwhile, Catchings finished her tally in 450+ games. If Mitchell manages to maintain her consistency and spend her remaining years with the Fever, she can certainly dethrone Catchings from her position.

It’s hard to believe, but Kelsey Mitchell might go under the radar at times, especially with Caitlin Clark on the Fever. But when you look at the game’s box score, you can see how a silent assassin actually works. Mitchell doesn’t make much noise or showcase gestures on the court.

But by the end of the games, she often finishes with 15+ points. Mitchell’s game rests on three pillars: tempo, range, and touch, each invisible until the final score. In an episode of the Post Moves podcast, WNBA veteran Candace Parker described Mitchell in the best way possible.

“There’s nobody that wants to guard her in the WNBA 1-on-1 on an island because she’s like Mortal Kombat crossover step back,” she had said.

But Kelsey Mitchell’s WNBA stint isn’t bound solely to skill sets. For her, the journey matters too, and, to be honest, the one she navigated with the Indiana Fever is inspiring. Being a No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, Mitchell had already shown flashes of her talent with Ohio State.

Mitchell’s arc spans mentee to mentor. Candice Dupree and Catchings (as the team’s general manager) shaped her early years. Now she guides Clark and Boston. This long journey is what the Fever veteran admires most.

“Oh, man, it’s everything,” Mitchell said when asked about her 5000-point milestone. “Anytime I hear Tamika Catchings, I get humbled because she filled a lot of great shoes. I think for me, it’s less about the accolade and more about the journey and the process.”

Mitchell is the 30th player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points over the span of her career.

Besides the scoring record of Tamika Catchings, Kelsey Mitchell also holds the record for most three-pointers made by a Fever player. She surpassed Catchings last year when she scored the 607th three-pointer of her Fever career during a New York Liberty game in July. The impact doesn’t end here, though.

Stephanie White sees another side of Mitchell’s game, far from these records and three-pointers that often remain unnoticed.

Stephanie White Breaks Down Kelsey Mitchell’s Impact on the Indiana Fever Franchise From a Coach’s Lens

Under Stephanie White, Kelsey Mitchell had her career season in the WNBA last year. In Caitlin Clark’s absence, Mitchell took the reins in her own hands, averaging 20.2 points per game in the season. Thus, having worked closely with the Fever veteran, White had a perfect assessment for Mitchell.

Speaking at the post-game press conference after the Atlanta game, Stephanie White was asked about Mitchell’s defense while speaking of her 5000-point milestone.

“I think she takes a lot of pride in [defense],” White said in reply. “Kelsey wants to be an all-around player. She wants to be a two-way player. And she is a competitor. She doesn’t like getting scored on, and she wants to score on other people. “

At 5’8, Mitchell struggles in guarding isolation, but averages 0.9 steals, proof that her effort matters in the context of the team.

It’s an impressive number, considering her limited reach on the court. But as Stephanie White mentioned, Mitchell isn’t a defensive liability. The Fever guard might struggle in 1-on-1 situations. But that zeal to defend can sometimes do wonders for the Fever’s defense, which is largely carried by players like Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston.