Caitlin Clark Injury: Kelsey Mitchell Must Step Up for Fever
Fever’s kelsey Mitchell Faces Challenges Without Caitlin Clark
Updated May 31, 2025
The Indiana fever suffered an 85-83 defeat against the Connecticut Sun on Friday, marking their third consecutive loss. The Fever, playing without Caitlin Clark, struggled to execute in the game’s final moments. A critical turnover by Kelsey Mitchell with 5.8 seconds left sealed the Sun’s victory.
Mitchell’s struggles have been evident in the two games Clark has missed due to a quad injury.In those games, Mitchell has totaled 27 points on 8-of-31 shooting. The Fever have lost both games by a combined eight points.
Coach Stephanie White acknowledged the team’s difficulty in executing the final play. “As far as the last play, it wasn’t clean,” White said. “We didn’t get it in cleanly. The way it was developing, it looked like were gonna have a good look, but it just wasn’t clean.”
Mitchell, who had a career year playing alongside Clark in 2024, signed a one-year supermax contract with the Fever. However, her performance has declined this season, averaging 16.3 points on 38.7% shooting, her lowest as 2019.
The Indiana Fever’s depth was expected to help them whether Clark’s absence,but Mitchell’s struggles have exacerbated the issue. Without Clark’s playmaking, Mitchell has faced increased defensive pressure, impacting her scoring ability, especially from outside.
Adding to Mitchell’s challenges, she is playing with a fractured middle finger on her shooting hand, an injury sustained during the offseason. “Probably healing on its own now,” Mitchell said during training camp. “Nothing I can really do about it… Obviously, the trainers here have taken care of me to get done with I need to get done.But there’s onyl so much you can do with a semi-fractured finger. It’s part of life,part of basketball at that point. Normal stuff athletes go through.”
What’s next
The Fever need Kelsey Mitchell to elevate her game as they navigate the next few contests without Caitlin Clark. Her ability to score and create opportunities will be crucial for the team’s success.