Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana Fever Star Shares Announcement Away From WNBA

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 9:15 AM ET

Kelsey Mitchell carried the scoring load for the Indiana Fever during the 2025 season, especially after All-Star guard Caitlin Clark was ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to a groin injury. The 29-year-old vet established herself as an MVP candidate in the process, averaging 20.2 points per game on 45.6% shooting along with 3.4 assists.

With Mitchell leading the way, the Fever finished with a 24-20 record and made it all the way to the WNBA semifinals, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces in five games.

Mitchell was undoubtedly on a mission to help the Fever win the championship. More than success, however, the All-Star scorer was also motivated to make her late father proud. She made that abundantly clear after the season ended, sharing in a post that her grief fueled her.

"Pops blueprint kept me in survival mode," Mitchell wrote in a post on Instagram. Her dad, Mark Mitchell, suddenly passed away in March 2024 at the age of 56.

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell during Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Now, amid the WNBA offseason, Mitchell continues to honor her father and remind people of the legacy he has left. Her dad played football for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and later became a basketball coach.

The Mitchell patriarch served as an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes and coached in the Cincinnati Public School System and Wilberforce University, according to Chloe Peterson of The Indianapolis Star.

On Friday, Mitchell shared an update on the first Mark Mitchell Classic. Cincinnati's Taft High School, where the late Mitchell coached for 11 seasons starting in 2003, created the event and announced it in February.

The schedule for the tournament has been revealed, and Mitchell made sure to promote it and encourage her fans and followers to watch.

"1st annual Mark Mitchell Classic on deck," the Fever star wrote. "Mark the calendar NOW."

Kelsey Mitchell on the first annual Mark Mitchell classic. pic.twitter.com/2SF92rUrdG
— Kit Espina (@KeithEspino22) November 1, 2025

The Mark Mitchell Classic kicks off on Jan. 18 and has nine scheduled games in a span of two days. Sure enough, it will be interesting to see if the WNBA player will attend the event.

It should be noted that Mitchell will be playing in the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league, which starts Jan. 17.

Whether she attends the Mark Mitchell Classic or not, though, it's clear that the tournament is special to her personally.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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