After the Indiana Fever’s miraculous win over the Connecticut Sun, there was just one name on everybody’s mind: Kelsey Mitchell. During the post-game press conference, her coach Stephanie White said, “Speechless, really. Just put us on her back, made big shot after big shot, big play after big play. She willed us.” While these comments were after a single game, the reality is, Kelsey has indeed carried the Indiana Fever throughout the season. Now, as the season is starting to wind down, her performances are rewarding her in a way no one imagined.

Before the 2025 season began, there were rumors about Kelsey Mitchell not returning to the Fever. However, with the Indiana organization showing its faith in her and making her the second highest paid player in the league, she returned to the franchise. She was expected to play the support role with Caitlin Clark taking the lead, but injuries had a different plan. While it is true that injuries have played a spoilsport in the Indiana Fever’s season, it has come with an unexpected reward for Kelsey Mitchell. 

Discussing the same in the latest edition of The Women’s Hoop Show, Jordan Robinson and Autumn Johnson discussed how this year has been oddly rewarding for Kelsey Mitchell. While saying that, Kelsey Mitchell deserves the respect, Jordan said. “She is going to be first team All-WNBA, as she should be. And she has just taken on this ownership role, which she was doing before Caitlin Clark got there, when it was her team, when she was a top draft pick. And now, she has just been able to show everyone again, like I am her.”

Long before Caitlin Clark entered the league, Kelsey Mitchell had been balling out and was the face of the Indiana Fever. In her 6 seasons before Caitlin, she was averaging 16.4 points per game and had recently become an All-Star. She has continued to perform at a high level with Caitlin Clark. The difference is, with more and more people paying attention to the Indiana Fever, she is getting more recognition. And now, with the Indiana Fever facing yet another injury setback and losing Sophie Cunningham for the year, Kelsey has elevated her game even more. 

Agreeing with this sentiment was Autumn Johnson. She said, “This is after the fact Sophie Cunningham went down too. Like this entire team could have folded completely. You’re down a fourth player in the back court. What do you do?” After Sophie Cunningham went down against the Connecticut Sun, the door seemed shut on a Fever win. Especially considering that Kelsey Mitchell had a poor half and the Fever were down 21 in the third quarter. But then, Kelsey woke up and dominated. In the second half and OT combined, she had 34 points (out of a total 38).

This win not only gave a glimmer of playoff hope to the Indiana Fever but also cemented Kelsey Mitchell as an MVP contender. Though Napheesa Collier is still the odds-on favorite, Kelsey Mitchell has quietly crept into the discussion and has the fourth-best odds (+2000) to win the coveted award. With the Indiana Fever embarking on the league’s toughest schedule, this presents another opportunity to put down her marker as the MVP. 

Kelsey Mitchell Leads Indiana in Their Toughest Stretch as Wait for Caitlin Clark’s Return Continues

Thanks to their win against the Connecticut Sun and other results favoring them, the Indiana Fever are back in the sixth spot. However, their mission to stay there is about to become very hard. After Sophie Cunningham’s MCL tear and the confirmation that she is going to miss the rest of the season, things were already way hard. However, Indiana’s upcoming brutal schedule is going to make things even worse. 

Indiana’s next two games are against the table toppers, the Minnesota Lynx. Though Napheesa Collier has missed the last 5 games, there is a chance that she makes her comeback in one of these two games. If she does, then it would be a great matchup between the two MVP candidates. It will also be an interesting rematch of the Commission’s Cup final, which Indiana Fever won. 

With Caitlin Clark still missing the action, Kelsey Mitchell will have to continue to be at her best. As per the last update from Stephanie White, there is hope that Caitlin Clark is back before the playoffs. However, with soft-tissue muscles, there is never an exact timeline. In her absence, Kelsey would continue to lead the Fever squad and try to lead them to the playoffs and further her case for MVP.