Indiana Fever Facing Troubling Kelsey Mitchell Development Amid Caitlin Clark’s Absence

Nevertheless, Mitchell has answered the call. She had a tremendous campaign in the regular season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points on 45.6% shooting, along with 1.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 triples per game. Her strong play led to the former Ohio State standout being named an MVP finalist for the first time in her career.

The three-time All-Star has had to turn it up a notch in the playoffs. Her scoring output has increased to 23.4 points in five games played, including her 34-point explosion in Indiana’s Game 1 win over the Aces.

Mitchell struggled with her shot in Game 2, though, finishing with just 13 points on 4-of-14 from the floor in 31 minutes of action. This was easily her worst shooting performance over the past several weeks.

Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke to reporters after the game, and she was asked to address Mitchell’s tough night. The former Coach of the Year winner gave a brutally honest response.

"I mean, the physicality, one," White said. "She's like a little pinball. ... Sometimes I feel like she's getting pinged around everywhere.

"And also she's played heavy minutes for us. I thought she looked a little fatigued. (There were) some shots she typically makes that she didn't."

White acknowledged the Aces’ effective game plan against Mitchell on Tuesday night, which involved a lot of physical action against the 5-foot-8 guard. At the same time, however, the Fever coach also admitted that fatigue may have been a factor in Mitchell’s performance in Game 2.

This could be a serious cause for concern for Indiana, considering how there’s still a lot of basketball to be played from here on out. The Fever host the Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse twice in three days (Friday and Sunday) for Games 3 and 4. If the Aces win one of those contests, then there will be a series-deciding Game 5 in Vegas on Tuesday.

The Fever are obviously hoping to book their spot in the WNBA Finals, which will be a best-of-seven series. If Indiana hopes to win its first championship since 2012, then it will have to play a minimum of six more games and a maximum of 10 over the next three weeks.

This puts Mitchell in a tight spot. As Indiana’s best player, she has no other choice but to play through the fatigue and go out there every single game as the team’s No. 1 option on offense. Over the course of the season, Mitchell has proven that she’s capable of doing the same, but there's no denying that the level of intensity in all aspects increases significantly in the playoffs.

The Fever also cannot ignore the risk of injury for Mitchell, who’s now averaging 32.4 minutes per game in the playoffs. The 29-year-old is as durable as they come. She has not missed a single game for Indiana in the past three seasons, and the Fever will need her to keep this incredible streak going the rest of the way.

Coach White deserves a lot of credit for keeping Mitchell’s usage rate at a manageable level. However, even White herself has already indicated that her star guard is dealing with fatigue. At this point, though, they have no other choice but to ride the wave.