Kelsey Mitchell exploded for 25 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting in the Indiana Fever's 83-71 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night. Making it even better, she made Indiana history in the process.
Mitchell reached 5,000 career points with the Fever, joining WNBA legend Tamika Catchings (7,380 points) as the only players to do so in franchise history. She entered the game with 4,978 points, and by the third quarter, Mitchell officially surpassed the milestone mark.
After the game, her Fever teammates were naturally ecstatic about her achievement. All-Star center Aliyah Boston even delivered a powerful message as she celebrated the achievement and honored the veteran guard.
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Boston highlighted how great a role model Mitchell has been for the whole team, sharing how the 30-year-old always shows up for the Fever regardless of the situation.
"I say it all the time: Kelsey is one of the biggest pieces of this franchise," Boston said. "Kelsey was here before we got here, continued to give it her all, continue to show up every single day. And we see that example in front of us."
Boston added, "So to see her get all these accomplishments and get past all these milestones, it's just so amazing as a teammate because, like, I show up and Kelsey shows up every day. It doesn't matter what's happening in her world. She just shows up and she gives us everything. So for me, it just makes me so excited to have a leader and a role model in Kelsey."
Mitchell has been with the Fever since 2018, when the team selected her second overall in the WNBA Draft. Clearly, as Boston stated, she has been a phenomenal leader for the franchise, especially as Indiana looks to build a title contender.
For what it's worth, Caitlin Clark echoed a similar sentiment after Mitchell's career milestone, saying that she's "lucky that she's my teammate."
