The Indiana Fever proved their strength this season. Against all odds, they reached the WNBA playoffs and advanced to the second round. They did it without five of their star players, including Caitlin Clark. Recently, head coach Stephanie White shared her thoughts on the team’s resilience.
With so many absences, several players stepped up. One of them was Kelsey Mitchell, whose performance heavily influenced the team’s results. White acknowledged her effort and leadership.
A well-deserved recognition for Mitchell
According to Essentiallysports, Indiana’s head coach praised Mitchell’s work: “First of all, just an extreme amount of pride for her. She has been through so much with this franchise. And secondly, pride in her work and how much effort she has put in to position herself to be here. She loves this game. She just wants to play. I’m incredibly proud of her. I’m grateful our fans continue to recognize her greatness… She’s finally getting her flowers.”
The Fever leaned on Mitchell, who has eight years with the team. She is a veteran with 277 games and 8,466 minutes played, making her one of the most reliable starters.
“Hey Holly, we’re professionals.” 😂@sportsiren caught up with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell at halftime 🍿 pic.twitter.com/zbR5MFHj9L
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 28, 2025
Although she struggled in the first three playoff games, she bounced back in Game 4 with 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting. Stephanie White made sure not to overlook that standout performance.
Mitchell set the tone early with two three-pointers and nine points in the first 10 minutes. She kept up the pressure in the last 20 minutes against Las Vegas, making things difficult for them.
At halftime, Mitchell told SportsCenter:
“I think it’s about finding the right pass, the next right look, and just being aggressive. I have to stay aggressive.”
That approach became her best strategy — and it may continue to guide the Fever in their playoff journey.
