Indiana vs Las Vegas Game 5 was meant to be the culmination of all the fight the Fever had shown to get there. Instead, it turned into a recap of their entire season. In a crucial moment, the injury bug struck again. This time, the victim was All-Star and 2025 MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell. With 5:05 left in the third quarter, she went down.

Her teammates quickly surrounded her, holding up towels to provide privacy. Indiana later confirmed that Mitchell would not return for the remainder of the do-or-die Game 5, though they did not disclose the nature of the injury at that time. Now, the Fever has released a much-anticipated update for their fans, 12 hours after elimination.

The official X handle of the Indiana Fever finally gave an update on Mitchell: “On Tuesday night, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell experienced extreme cramping in her lower body during the third quarter of the Fever’s game at Las Vegas. Mitchell was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and released late Tuesday night. Mitchell will remain under the supervision of the Fever medical team and is expected to make a full recovery.”

Mitchell was putting together another strong outing in the road elimination game before the setback. She had already tallied 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes, going a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. At that moment, the Aces held a 59-55 advantage. But with Mitchell out of the equation, it became hard for Indiana to contain Las Vegas.

The game ended with 107-98 on the board with A’ja Wilson scoring 35 on 13 of 27 shooting. She got support from Jackie Young, who got 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting. As for Indiana, Odyssey Sims led the charge in the absence of Kelsey Mitchell, scoring 27 points on 7 of 14 shooting. However, all these efforts were not enough to overcome the Las Vegas Aces.

As a head coach, this was a traumatic experience for Stephanie White. During the post-game press conference, White explained, “She’s [Mitchell] got a lot of lower body cramping. She’s currently at the hospital getting fluids.” As she spoke, White struggled to hold back her emotions, her voice cracking several times. With this loss, the curse for White continues for losing a best-of-five series if her team wins the first game.

But Kelsey Mitchell’s injury was a rare unifying moment, as both teammates and opponents showed care following the incident. While she was carried away, the crowd at Michelob Ultra Arena, largely made up of Aces fans, offered their support with applause. Several Aces players, including A’ja Wilson, also approached Mitchell to check on her.

In the end, however, the biggest foe for Indiana turned out to be its injuries. Their season is now officially over, but it left a sour taste for fans and players alike. Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Chloe Bibby were all out of the season with injuries. Damiris Dantas and Lexie Hull also had their fair share of injuries this season. With Mitchell joining this list, there are a total of eight players on it.

One of the players to compete in all games, Aliyah Boston said, “Honestly, I felt like I got just kind of emotional seeing her down there.” Boston found courage in this adversity to support her team. Unfortunately, one incident caused her to stay off the hardwood when her team needed her the most.

Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston were not on the court during the most crucial moment vs the Aces

The Game 5 between Indiana and Las Vegas was nothing short of a movie. Despite starting the final quarter with a 63-71 deficit and Mitchell out of the game, Indiana powered through. But by the final whistle, the scores were tied 86-86. Unfortunately for the Fever, they were in another bad situation. With 27 seconds on the clock in the fourth, Boston drew a loose-ball foul. White made a challenge on this call, but it was to no avail.

This was the last foul Boston could make in that game. With six fouls, Boston was on the bench, and the Fever lost another starter. When OT kicked off, Indiana did not have Kelsey Mitchell or Aliyah Boston to regulate offense or defense. At the end of overtime, Las Vegas had a comfortable nine-point lead.

Without Mitchell and Boston, the Fever crumbled. Despite this situation, the 2023 ROTY had a positive look on her face. Why? To keep up team morale. After fouling out in probably her most important WNBA game. “Yeah, I mean, it sucks obviously not being on the court, but when there’s nothing you can do about that, you just pour into other people.” Boston gave it her all to light up a fire inside the remaining Fever players on the court. Boston finished Game 5 with an 11-point, 16-rebound double-double.

But despite an OT exit in the semifinals, Boston is coming for the 2026 ring. As she puts it, “For me, a championship’s always on my mind. I think no matter what happens, like obviously you hate losing, but you kind of started with your question with just the progression that it’s been. Preparing for the next season is something Kelsey Mitchel will also look out for.