Kelsey Mitchell helped off court after injury, support from Aces fans, players
Fans and Aces players cheered on Kelsey Mitchell as she got up after suffering an injury in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals and needed assistance walking off.
- Be sure to refresh as Fever staff and players meet the media during exit interviews Thursday morning.
- Stay tuned to storylines and more as the IndyStar team has baseline to baseline coverage on the Fever’s final conversations.
- Join the Fever Insiders Live to break down the action at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the IndyStar YouTube page.
The Indiana Fever‘s rollercoaster of a season ended with their loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the semifinal round of the WNBA playoffs.
The Fever withstood an avalanche of injuries — most notably to second-year player Caitlin Clark — and an influx of hardship waiver signings who had to contribute right away to post a winning record and reach the playoffs. Indiana also had an unusual situation that resulted in a separation with DeWanna Bonner.
Indiana players, coach Stephanie White and COO and general manager Amber Cox are scheduled for exit interviews Thursday morning. Join our live blog and be sure to refresh throughout the day as coverage continues.
Wing Lexie Hull suffered a back injury in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces. She appeared as questionable on the injury report for Game 2, and played in each game of the series.
“We have a saying in our locker room, ‘Standard over feeling,’” she said, in part, prior to Game 3. “Regardless of how your body’s feeling, however your mind is feeling, we’re here to take care of the Fever standard and that’s all you can do.”
Kelsey Mitchell suffered an injury midway through the third quarter of Game 5. She was helped to the floor by an official in what she described was a paralyzing numbness. What was initially described as cramping was revealed by Mitchell as rhabdomyolysis, a potentially life-threatening injury that can happen after excessive exercise without rest.
Napheesa Collier said Tuesday that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told her that Caitlin Clark should be thankful for the WNBA’s platform for her sponsorship opportunities. However, IndyStar refuted that alleged claim with a list of the sponsorship deals before Clark was drafted.
Fever exit interviews are not publicly available. IndyStar however will have a running playlist throughout the day.
Six players, coach Stephanie White and COO and general manager Amber Cox are scheduled to speak. Cox will start at 9:30 a.m., then White at 9:45 a.m. Players will begin at 10 a.m. but a schedule is not yet set.
The players speaking include Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull.
Indiana Fever exit interviews are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and run for approximately two hours.
Many WNBA players are free agents after the 2025 season, with deals ending before the league and players association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. A new CBA would likely take into account a large pay increase tied to the league’s expanded media rights agreement.
Figures according to Spotrac
Under contract (with 2026 salaries): Aliyah Boston, $94,740; Caitlin Clark, $85,873; Makayla Timpson, $70,653. Unrestricted free agents: Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard, Damiris Dantas, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Brianna Turner, Aari McDonald, Odyssey Sims, Aerial Powers, Shey Peddy. Restricted free agent: Lexie Hull. Exclusive rights free agents: Chloe Bibby, Bree Hall.
Caitlin Clark made $78,066 in 2025 and is set to make $85,873 in 2026. It’s unclear how a new collective bargaining agreement would affect her salary.
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