Kelsey Mitchell literally played till she could stand. As she stumbled under the basket with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter of Game 5 against the Aces, Mitchell grabbed onto official Isaac Barnett as he was passing by. He immediately understood the gravity of the situation and steadied her as Fever teammates arrived to help their “MVP”.  It seemed a stretcher would be needed to carry Mitchell, but she refused it in order to walk back. 

Fever boss Stephanie White said postgame that Mitchell experienced “a lot of lower-body cramping.” It was an emotional moment for the entire team and the fans, with Mitchell hospitalised. After being released the next day, Mitchell sent a detailed statement explaining the injury to the fans, and their wishes are coming in.

“I suffered from something called Rhabdomyolysis last night. my muscles stopped producing and reached it’s maximum capacity. i went into a sense of numbness/ paralyzing feeling with no movement from my lower extremities for up to 5 to 7 seconds. because my muscles stopped producing positive blood to my bloodstream, my body locked up from a physical standpoint and from there fatigue and cramping settled in.” Mitchell wrote. 

Rhabdomyolysis happens because of extreme exertion, heat illness, dehydration, or crush injuries that directly damage muscle. After a hectic expanded season, the Fever played all three games in the first round and dragged the semifinals to the fifth with Mitchell playing almost complete games. Mitchell had a most human reaction to her injury as she explained further.

“It sucked. I panicked because I began to think the worse when I felt like I couldn’t move my legs😔. It was an out-of-body experience for me, and I thank God for covering me at a time like that.” Mitchell wrote before revealing the good news.

“So today on Oct. 1, I am walking and moving at a slow pace, but I will be fine very soon. I want to thank the Fever medical team, Vegas medical team, and the staff at the local hospital for keeping me safe.” She wrote. Naturally, the fans are delighted to find that Mitchell has already begun her recovery.

Fans Send Their Best Wishes After Kelsey Mitchell’s Message

“This is so sad, bruh,” wrote one fan, echoing thousands. It was possibly the Tyrese Haliburton moment for the Indiana Fever. Haliburton was playing through his injury and reinjured his Achilles minutes into Game 7 of the NBA finals. The injuries are as far apart as they can be, but their significance remains the same. Kelsey Mitchell’s injury meant the game started slipping away, the same as Haliburton’s had. The situation got even worse with Aliyah Boston fouling out in the final quarter as the Aces overpowered the Fever in OT. 

“Happy to hear you’re doing well and will make a full recovery, Queen! Thanks for propelling the Fever (and the WNBA) to one of the greatest season runs we’ve ever seen from a team! Rest up 🐐!🫡” Wrote another fan. This Indiana Fever postseason run was one of fairytales. Fever lost Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Chloe Bibby, and Sydney Colson while needing to roster 18 players. Despite the difficulties, they rallied through with ‘Resilience’ being their mantra. And Mitchell represented the best of it. 

“You’re a warrior 🔥🔥 upholding the indy tradition of never giving up” Wrote another fan. With all the injuries, Mitchell had to do the heavy lifting and even ‘carried Fever on her back’ at times. Now that the worst of her injury is behind Mitchell, she can focus on getting back to her best in the offseason. 

“Gave it your all this season, glad to hear the good prognosis 🙏See you in #Unrivaled!” Another fan wrote. After skipping the first season, Mitchell will be playing the 3v3 league in 2026. You can already wrap up the 1v1 contest because Mitchell will most likely win it. Fans want  Mitchell and Boston to be paired together. Just like at the Fever, the two would spell trouble for the rest of the league if allowed.

Mitchell’s ordeal may have halted the Fever’s momentum, but it also cemented her legacy as the heart of the team. Her fight through adversity reflects not just a player’s strength, but the spirit of an entire franchise moving forward.