It was a nightmare season when it came to injuries for the Indiana Fever.
Indiana lost Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Chloe Bibby to season-ending injuries this year. The Fever roster became a revolving door of seven-day contract and injury hardship players. And yet somehow, the Fever have clinched a playoff spot, going 24-20 despite all of those injuries. Those 24 wins are a single-season record for Indiana.
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A big reason why the Fever were able to clinch a playoff berth is the play of a trio of players: Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, and Kelsey Mitchell. Those three players kept Indiana afloat and showed up game after game after game to help clinch a playoff spot. But it was Mitchell who was truly outstanding. The longest-tenured Fever on the roster set another franchise record this season.
Mitchell averaged 20.2 points per game this year, passing Tamika Catchings for the most points per game in a single season in Indiana Fever franchise history.
In addition to those 20.2 points per game, Mitchell also chipped in 3.4 assists per game and shot 39.4% from behind the arc. When Clark was out, Mitchell stepped up and helped play some point guard minutes, in addition to her scoring punch. And the Fever needed every single one of her big performances this season. Mitchell was clutch in so many games this year, and is a huge reason why Indiana made the playoffs.
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When you’re writing the story of the Indiana Fever franchise, Mitchell will no doubt have a chapter devoted to her and everything she’s done for this franchise. Her longetivity is incredible, and this may be her best season yet in a Fever jersey. While Indiana may not be favored in a playoff series, Mitchell has shown this year that she can will this team to a win. Don’t count the Fever out yet. They’ve been proving people wrong all season.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell sets new single-season franchise record
