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WNBA Indiana Fever

Mitchell Makes Long-Awaited Playoff Debut, Remains Confident

September 22, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


In four meetings with the Connecticut Sun during the WNBA regular season, the Indiana Fever came away victorious in just one. Now they have a series of three games with the same opponent - three chances to win twice and extend their season. After the loss to Connecticut on Sunday, 93-69, Indiana faces elimination in their first WNBA postseason appearance since 2016.

Kelsey Mitchell's been waiting seven years for a chance to perform on the WNBA's premier stage. After being drafted in 2018, Mitchell hasn't had the opportunity to experience playoff basketball for the entirety of her Fever tenure.

On Sunday, she concluded her playoff debut with 21 points - leading the Fever in scoring - and added three rebounds and five assists to her stat line.

"Every time I step on the floor I give my best," Mitchell said after Sunday's loss. "...Our team tries to give our best. The vision and the goal is to always give my best...So I'm excited to hash out the details, look at the film as a group, and I'm looking forward to Wednesday."

Indiana struggled to make shots in the initial game of their first round matchup, sinking just 21 percent of their 3-point field goals. The Fever have a success rate of 35 percent from beyond the arc this season, good for third best in the WNBA, but the shots weren't falling for Indiana on Sunday afternoon. After one half of action, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Mitchell were shooting a combined 37 percent from the field. The All-Star guard tandem of Clark and Mitchell made just one of their 12 3-point attempts, and the Fever were in an eight-point hole.

Mitchell came back to the court with Boston and Clark before the conclusion of the halftime performance to get extra shots up before the second half. In a darkly lit arena, with dizzying spotlights illuminating small spaces of a halftime performance at center court, the Fever's core trio remained committed and confident.

Those same three players shot a combined 45.8 percent in the second half.

Despite Indiana's Game 1 loss, the Fever hold fast to their success in the regular season as evidence of their ability to compete at the highest level. They've defeated Connecticut before - less than a month ago - and they're capable of defeating them again.

"It starts with accountability first," Mitchell said. "...Confidence doesn't waver. I don't think you just drop off because it didn't go our way. I think this is a game that's imperfect, that has imperfections, and I think that for us, we dropped the ball. We just didn't play well.

"Going forward, you keep your confidence, you know what it is, but you take accountability as a player and as a team, and you look forward to Wednesday."

Mitchell's own confidence, coupled with her consistency and commitment, is a vital piece in what landed Indiana in the playoffs after such a long drought. As a veteran leader and crucial part of the franchise, Mitchell will lead the Fever as they look to Wednesday to shift the outlook of the three game series. Down 1-0 to Connecticut, Indiana now finds themselves in a must-win scenario as they plan to return to Mohegan Sun Arena for a rematch with the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday evening.

"A lot of people in life want a lot of instant satisfaction," Clark said. "And as a competitor you want that too. I think as a competitor you have to give yourself a lot of grace...Everything's not going to be perfect right away and everything's still not perfect...You've got to work for it every day."

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