Amidst all the discussions surrounding Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White’s technical foul and Caitlin Clark’s highly inefficient showcase in Game 3 against the Las Vegas Aces, WNBA broadcaster Robin Lundberg has also highlighted Kelsey Mitchell’s performance in the Indiana Fever’s first-round series, which he believes deteriorated compared to what we saw of her in the regular season.

“Hate to say it after the season she had, but pretty brutal series from Kelsey Mitchell overall.” Robin Lundberg wrote on X.

While Mitchell was one of the better scorers for the Indiana Fever, the veteran guard was not at her best against the Aces. Especially considering her regular-season performances sparked one of the greatest backcourts alongside Caitlin Clark in WNBA history.

In Game 1 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Mitchell had an underwhelming afternoon, scoring 12 points, shooting 4-of-16 from the field and 1-of-6 from outside the arc.

Thankfully for the Fever, Game 2 was a significant upgrade as the Fever Big 3 connected at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to level the series 1-1. Mitchell contributed 26 points on almost 50% shooting, with three shots from outside the arc.

In the end, the Fever were not able to keep up with A’ja Wilson and the Aces away from home, as they knocked out by head coach Becky Hammon’s side for the second consecutive year.

While Mitchell scored a team-high 23 points, it was a frustrating outing, as she shot only 7-of-23 from the field. And while her scoring averages dropped, Mitchell was unable to compensate for it with her playmaking or defending.

All in all, Kelsey Mitchell’s scoring efficiency dropped from 50.9% in the regular season to a mere 32.7% in the postseason. This further cements why Lundberg feels Mitchell had a “brutal” series against the Aces.

It was especially disappointing for the Lundberg because of he historic scoring season and the impact Mitchell had on the Fever in the regular season. In fact, she even led Clark as one of the top candidates for the league MVP alongside A’ja Wilson, Olivia Miles, and Breanna Stewart.

Mitchell now holds the record for most total points (1,086) and three-pointers made (135), with a historic 27-game streak of scoring 20 or more points. She also averaged 24.7 points, only behind A’ja Wilson’s 26.2.

Such numbers put Mitchell right into MVP territory, but that performance didn’t translate into postseason success. In fact, even during the playoffs, a Clark enabled Mitchell’s scoring, especially in Game 2, where CC got 15 assists.

It also remains to be seen if Game 3 against the Aces was the last time she played in an Indiana Fever jersey. After all, Mitchell will reach free agency as one of the stars alongside the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier by the end of 2026.

For now, there is no clarity on what the Fever stars plan to do once she hits free agency or whether Indiana plans to retain her even before she officially becomes a free agent. Collier, who was asked about free agency, said she hadn’t even thought about it.

“I can tell you, I love it here. I love the organization. I love it here. I love the organization. But I just haven’t had the time to give it any thought,” Collier told Front Office Sports reporter Colin Salao.

While she is still a top player and complements Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston’s playstyles, the Indiana Fever heavily struggled in defense this season. Head coach Stephanie White’s squad allowed roughly 90.3 points in the regular season, while having a 1-7 record whenever the opposition crossed the 100-point threshold.

Apart from Aliyah Boston, who won Defensive Player of the Year in Unrivaled 2026, the Fever did not have a consistent defender beyond her and relied on their otherworldly offense to win games; even that fire slowly burned out in the postseason.

With Mitchell’s impending free agency, the Indiana Fever could balance out their offense and defense, which might give them a better core to have a deep run in the next playoffs.