The Indiana Fever’s amazing playoff run came to an end on Tuesday night as star guard and offensive powerhouse Kelsey Mitchell left Game 5 of the WNBA semifinal against the Las Vegas Aces with a possible serious injury.
The event happened with 5:05 left in the third quarter. Mitchell, who was a nominee for the 2025 WNBA MVP award, was seen right away holding her left knee in pain. She could only tell the referee she needed medical help a few moments later, when a whistle stopped play because of an offensive foul on her teammate Aliyah Boston.
A Roster That Is Already Hurt
Mitchell’s injury is a cruel blow to an Indiana Fever roster that is already missing several key players for the rest of the season, including:
Caitlin Clark (groin)
Aari McDonald (foot)
Sydney Colson (ACL)
MCL: Sophie Cunningham
The team trainers quickly ran to Mitchell’s side and spent a few tense minutes checking out the injury. A stretcher was brought onto the court, but the tough Mitchell refused to use it. Instead, team officials helped her off the floor while her teammates, including Caitlin Clark, cheered her on as she slowly proceeded to the locker room.
The team’s offensive engine
Mitchell has been the Fever’s best player by far in the playoffs, stepping up big time while her injured teammates were out. She scored an average of 23.3 points per game in the playoffs and 20.2 points per game in the regular season.
Mitchell had already scored 15 points and was shooting perfectly from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3 from three-point range when she left in the third quarter.
During a later timeout, Fever coach Stephanie White told her players to keep fighting even though they had lost. “We’ve been here before, haven’t we? We have been here before. We need to play for the people on our team. We have to stand up for our teammates. “Tooth and nail,” White told her players to fight. “We’re the best people for this job, but we have to stay focused on everything we do.” We have to feel it, but when we get on the floor, we have to show respect for it in all we do.