Caitlin Clark was expected to miss four games with a quadriceps injury, and two of them are already down the drain. Everyone had gone into an optimism-overdrive trying to spot that elusive silver lining: Maybe Stephanie White would finally set the tone for the season. Or maybe her experiments would finally leave the lab. Perhaps Clark would absorb some sideline wisdom she couldn’t find while sprinting up and down the court.

“We got a real opportunity to grow here, playing with different lead guards,” White had said just four days ago. “Playing in different actions, seeing what all of our off-ball stuff can look like.” Honestly, all that hasn’t paid off when it was supposed to. Especially after that loss to the Mystics, the next game against the Sun was supposed to be less like a challenge and more like a chance to catch a break. It should have been a cakewalk, right? Well… they lost both games. Narrowly, painfully, and not in the fun we’re building character way. That “depth” the front office was so proud of this winter? Feels like it’s hibernating. What about Colson, the “elite communicator” who coach White was banking on? Sydney Colson (who was scoreless in nine minutes of action) and Sophie Cunningham (who recorded 10 points in 27 minutes) were both injured during the game, while Aliyah Boston led the team with 17 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.

Even Kelsey Mitchell couldn’t do much, and it all ended in an 83-85 loss. While the team did rally in the fourth, the offense looked disjointed without Clark. Execution at the rim was lacking, and unforced turnovers also caused an issue. In the initial three quarters, Fever looked hesitant, which allowed the Sun to run their defense well, getting in passing lanes and forcing turnovers. Indiana also missed layups, and it was the second game straight where they couldn’t see the ball out in transition. By the time the fourth quarter rolled in, the Fever was charged up and went 16-0, going from down 74-59 to up 75-74. Think about the four straight 3-pointers they scored. But they also lost the lead after the opposition went on an 8-3 run. Indiana fans are unhappy, but at the center of their complaints is just one player. Mitchell!

Even before Clark was forced to take some time off, Coach White had been in mad-scientist mode, playing with lineups and juggling patterns during her star player’s bench minutes, all in the hope of cracking the perfect group before the All-Star break. Remember Indiana’s season opener against the Sky? CC took a breather at the end of the first quarter and again in that first matchup against the Dream. Sydney Colson had then stepped in to handle the ball like the seasoned pro she is. However, against the Sun, with some seconds remaining in the first quarter, Colson rolled her leg while driving to her right. Sophie Cunningham did step into her place, but the team was already approaching her with caution since she had only recently returned after a preseason injury. And so Mitchell was supposed to be the engine of the offense.

Well, look back at the Fever’s second game against the Dream and then their Saturday faceoff against the Liberty. You will be able to clearly see the plot twist that was supposed to pay off. Both times, Clark started her break at the beginning of the second quarter. And stepping into the spotlight? None other than Kelsey Mitchell, who took over as lead creator and was trying to keep the offense humming in Clark’s absence. Against the Sun, though, she just could not find herself on the court.

Kelsey Mitchell: Fans criticize veteran after disappointing Connecticut Sun game

Well, so far, this season, Mitchell has not been what fans wanted her to be. But there is a reason Fever cored her and then extended a supermax contract. Her career trajectory with the Fever has only gone up, with 2024 being her strongest season yet. Mitchell averaged a career-high 19.2 points per game (same as Clark), and started in 38 of 40 games, averaging 32 minutes per game. So, the slump right now is likely a product of so many changes and a rebuilding squad. And now, with both Cunningham and Colson injured, we really don’t have any option apart from her. If anything, the squad needs to boost her efficiency both mentally and physically.

An unhappy fan wrote on social media, “I think Kelsey Mitchell has a “don’t bench” clause in her contract. She just keeps getting away with atrocities.”

“I am not joking, the way we get stagnant while Kelsey Mitchell drives around like a lunatic. That’s what happens when no one trusts a pass will come. Team chemistry is awful when she has the ball…. They just stare at her,” mentioned another social media user.

Well, we talked about boosting efficiency—and as funny a turn of phrase as that might be, it does point to something crucial. Some of Mitchell’s movements on the court have been noticeably uncharacteristic. Take that one drive down the lane, for instance—it was blocked with surprising ease by Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and the Sun turned it into a fast-break score, ironically in the same style Mitchell was aiming for. Hence, “Kelsey Mitchell plays basketball like someone’s 2k MyPlayer the first game after equipping new animations…” wrote one fan.

At times, Mitchell tries so hard to make something happen on her own that she forgets to move the ball—something that goes against one of Stephanie White’s core philosophies. White is trying to mold the Fever into a fast-paced, fluid team, and that starts with trusting the pass. And it’s especially important now for Indiana to lean into more drive-and-kick action—something that could open up much-needed rhythm on offense. This is where Mitchell needs to focus less on finishing every play herself and more on spraying those passes out to the corners. Players like DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull are lurking there, ready to make defenses scramble if they’re given even a sliver of space.

“Kelsey Mitchell isn’t as good as some Fever fans want you to think,” wrote another fan, while another wrote, “Kelsey Mitchell, I love you but you need to stop with all the dribbling in the paint! Take a beat.”

The decision-making has been questionable. But some jumped to her defense, saying that she might’ve thrived more in a system with a guard like Natasha Cloud running the show and a dominant post presence like A’ja Wilson backing her up. So, forget Clark not being there. Even with her on the court still figuring things out defensively, it’s hard to see this current core (add in Boston) clicking into a title-contending machine. At least not yet.