The current Indiana Fever roster is on a dream run. After losing five players in the regular season, nobody envisioned them reaching the postseason. But here they are in the semifinals, after taking down Atlanta and now Las Vegas in game 1. All this was thanks to the work of the 2025 MVP finalist, Kelsey Mitchell. The eight-year veteran in the WNBA is leading the offensive charge in the absence of Caitlin Clark. But one analyst believes Clark might be the reason Mitchell did not climb higher in the MVP leaderboard.

In her latest Courtside Club podcast, WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita claimed the Fever player went unnoticed for the MVP race. As she puts it, “I do kind of think that Kelsey Mitchell has flown under the radar this whole season. And the MVP award is a regular-season award, so you can’t really take into account what these players are doing in the playoffs.” According to her, all eyes were on Caitlin Clark at the start of the season.

But since Clark went out with an injury, all eyes turned towards Mitchell and her contribution to the team. “If you see the kind of turmoil and all the things that the Fever have been through in the way that Kelsey Mitchell has really put this team on her back, especially with Caitlin being out and scoring the way that she has scored this season, and just all the things that she’s doing,” DeMita said.

Mitchell has been carrying Indiana on her back for a long time. Since joining in 2018, she has never gone below 12.5+ points in a single season. And her rise to the top has been gradual but strong. Last year, she put up 19.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, still a hefty contribution to the Fever offense. However, it was Caitlin Clark who stole the limelight with her never-before-seen performance as a rookie. But this year, all eyes are on Mitchell. She’s still doing what the team needs from her.

DeMita believes this is the second reason for her MVP snub. Mitchell is not a flashy player, but a consistent team player. Due to this, not many juries notice her, according to the WNBA analyst. “I think another reason that Kelsey Mitchell flies under the radar is that she’s not like a super animated or flashy player. She really just goes out there, goes to work, get gets the job done. Mitchell is super humble, doesn’t say a lot in the media, and is always hyping up her teammates. She is probably one of the most humble players in the WNBA.”

“And even when she’s out there, like she’s not celebrating when she makes a big three. She’s always just stone cold, locked in, focused, and that’s kind of what the Fever need. They need somebody to really ground them,” DeMita said. Unfortunately, thinking about carrying her team to a better postseason run meant a lower MVP result for Mitchell. The league majorly focused on A’ja Wilson taking her team to a 17-game win streak or Napheesa Collier with her 50-40-90 club entry.

In the current MVP list, A’ja Wilson won (657 points), Napheesa Collier was the runner-up (534), with Alyssa Thomas (391), Allisha Gray (180), and Kelsey Mitchell (93) following next. Due to this, Kelsey Mitchell ended up in the fifth spot. So, where does DeMita rank her in the MVP list? Interestingly, Wilson and Collier in a podium finish. “I do feel like she was definitely overlooked in these MVP votes. And I don’t think that she deserved to be in fifth place… I think you can flip-flop Kelsey and Allisha. There’s a case to be made that Kelsey should have been top three in MVP voting.”

Now the five-place MVP finalist has taken down the MVP in a head-to-head game. While some may believe Caitlin Clark was the reason for Mitchell’s MVP snub, she credits her as the glue of the team.

Kelsey Mitchell has nothing but praise for Caitlin Clark for her support in the locker room

The Indiana Fever looks like the most composed team in the WNBA playoffs right now. After dismantling the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces on their home floor, all eyes were on Kelsey Mitchell’s offensive brilliance. Yet the veteran guard shifted the spotlight to Indiana’s front office, crediting the team’s draft success for their grit despite losing key players. Mitchell highlighted how the arrivals of Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark blended seamlessly with her own experience

Calling it the perfect balance of youth and leadership, she claims it was a sense of togetherness that is taking Indiana forward. Furthermore, Mitchell noted that Clark, in particular, reshaped Fever by opening doors for both the franchise and its players. This connection outside to the court has translated into trust in it. Mitchell believes that chemistry allowed the veterans to guide the younger core through playoff pressure. Head coach Stephanie White echoed that sentiment, stating,

That team-first mentality has defined Indiana’s run so far. And Stephanie White called Mitchell their X-factor, stating, “Kelsey’s just a tough shotmaker. She’s always in constant motion.” Will Kelsey Mitchell carry her team to another postseason win? But the bigger question now is whether a Game 2 win against Las Vegas is on the books for Indiana.