Indiana Fever Legend Names WNBA MVP Without Hesitation

Tamika Catchings Votes Kelsey Mitchell for MVP

In response to a social media campaign promoting Mitchell as an MVP and All-WNBA candidate, Fever legend Tamika Catchings staked her claim in the debate.

"Yes!!!!! Got my vote for sure!!!" Catchings posted on X.

Catchings may be biased given that she played her entire Hall of Fame career for the Fever, but her resume lends credence to her opinion on the MVP race.

Catchings won WNBA MVP in 2011, averaging 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The next season, she led Indiana to their first and only WNBA championship.

Behind Mitchell, the franchise is closing in on just its second playoff appearance since Catchings retired in 2016. They have not won a postseason game since 2015.

Why A'ja Wilson is the WNBA MVP Favorite Over Napheesa Collier

Mitchell's campaign may be better off focused on making All-WNBA first team, because the sports books are not considering her in the MVP conversation.

This week, Wilson overtook Collier as the betting favorite for 2025 MVP. According to ESPN BET, the Aces star has -160 odds to take home her fourth award in six years, while Collier is listed at +115 to win her first MVP.

Las Vegas has won 13 straight games, including a head-to-head 97-87 victory against Collier and the Lynx that shifted the MVP race in favor of Wilson. Minnesota had already secured the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, but the Aces are now 5.5 games behind them in the standings.

Wilson scored a game-high 31 points, boosting her season average to 23.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

Collier has played five fewer games than Wilson, but she is averaging 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per contest.