For the Indiana Fever, adversity and injuries have been the name of the game ever since the season started, and the same has seemingly continued in the WNBA semifinals. Despite missing several key stars, Indiana has fought all the way to Game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces as they attempt to reach the Finals.
Deep into the third quarter, Kelsey Mitchell was seen dropping to the floor after a hard screen from the Aces’ Aaliyah Boston, her fifth foul of the night. Mitchell was quickly surrounded by her teammates and Fever staff, who covered her with towels with what has since been confirmed to be a (left) knee injury, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
She spent an extended period on the floor being looked at by medical staff and appeared to have locked up her knee, per Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Young. Mitchell was eventually helped off the floor on a stretcher and was seen unable to put any weight on her left knee.
Mitchell initially looked likely to be wheeled off. However, that did not seem necessary even though it has since been confirmed that she has been ruled out of the game.
The Fever entered the fourth quarter trailing the Aces by eight points. Mitchell has been a consistent bright spark throughout the playoffs. She was leading her team with 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists at the time of injury, and her absence is obviously going to be a major blow in what looks likely to end up as the Fever’s last game this season.
The 29-year-old was a constant threat for the Fever all season. She averaged 20.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game through the regular season. However, her points average had increased to 23.3 points off almost 50 percent shooting in the playoffs.
