Three questions with Kelsey Mitchell: How the No. 2 pick is adjusting to the WNBA

This week, her professional career began with a bang, as the Fever played three games in four days to open the season. Yardbarker caught up with Mitchell less than 24 hours after her first game, an 82-64 loss to the Chicago Sky, in which she had five points, one assist and one steal in 14 minutes on the floor.

You’re beginning your WNBA career with back-to-backs, which is a bit of baptism by fire. What lessons did you learn from your pro debut? 

The nice thing about it is the whole "forget about it" thing, because I’m really hard on myself in regards to my play, and knowing my assignments, and I really wasn’t good with that yesterday. I was a little hesitant yesterday, second-guessing myself, and because I was second-guessing myself, I was second-guessing my teammates.

For me, I’m at the pro level, but it’s just about staying who I am, not changing that because of how fast the pace is. That’s the biggest adjustment, because I felt like I had to, I felt like I had to adjust to the style of game at the pro level, and I don’t. So it’s just staying within myself and knowing what I can do with myself and with others.

The one thing that hits you when you actually get in the game is what it’s like playing against great, great people, people like [Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley]. She’s going to make you pay if you don’t barter, so with that being said, I can only imagine how other big-time players are in the league.

Knowing personnel and things — I think that was the biggest slap in the face. Like, damn, Quigley is going to make you pay.

The Fever are an incredibly young team this year, but you do have one of the great WNBA veterans, six-time All-Star Candice Dupree, who is in her 12th season. Has she given you advice?   

Candice has been really helpful to me and [Victoria Vivians and Stephanie Mavunga], the rookies. With that being said, she’s just telling us to be ourselves, just take everything with a grain of salt. It’s not going to be perfect, it’s going to get harder before it gets easier. Specifically for me, she’s just saying to keep my head up.

The last time the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever played in D.C., the game was delayed because of a leak in the roof, and an epic dance battle broke out. If that were to happen again tonight, what would be your go-to dance move?

Well … let’s hope we can just play the game, but if not, I’m just going to be the backup dancer. I don’t have any pressure moves. I’m going to leave it to my teammates, I’m not a club person, that’s not me. Not me. (Laughs.)