With the season nearing its end, the Indiana Fever find themselves in a precarious spot. While they currently hold on to post-season hopes with a 19-16 record, their position could change overnight. Not only does a tough schedule await them ahead, and injuries pose concern, but Spark, Mystics, and Strom are eerily close to them. Amidst all this chaos, though, there remains one hope, and it’s about time people took notice, suggests Azzi Fudd’s father.

No matter what the oddsmakers’ books read, Kelsey Mitchell is having an MVP season. As Stephanie White notes, she has ‘carried the Fever on her back’. With 20.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game, Mitchell only trails Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson in making her ultimate case. But that performance against the Connecticut Sun? Tim Fudd believes it offered everything the hooping community had missed all these years.

Never one to hold back on his opinions, Tim took to X to praise the 38-point stint by the Indiana Fever player, stating, “It absolutely is amazing at what Kelsey Mitchell is doing with the Fever. I’ve said it for the last two seasons, but people have chosen to overlook her prolific scoring ability as if it is not top-notch.”

It is true that Mitchell has exploded over the past two seasons, but it has been in the works since she joined. Joining the Fever in 2018, she has grown steadily, earning her place as a starter. And the numbers speak in her favor. While starting off with just 12.7 PPG in 2018, she has now grown to be a lethal weapon with 20.4 PPG this year. Moreover, in the past two seasons, she has been pulling 700+ points, while being on pace to reach 800+ for the persisting campaign.

The world has slowly started to take notice. While Lisa Leslie called her the most underrated player, Candance Parker declared the Fever was going to be the most dangerous team if Caitlin Clark joined Mitchell. As Tim noted, the talks may only be coming up now, but no one has known Mitchell’s impact better than the Fever front office.

“Kelsey has been a foundation of our franchise for many years,” Kelly Krauskopf had noted while extending the core-qualifying offer. “She is one of the best guards in this league and is a cornerstone to building a championship roster.” That game against the Sun couldn’t have been a better showcase.

She knocked down five three-pointers, dished out six assists, and powered the Fever to the biggest comeback win in franchise history. The performance was so electric that even the injured Sophie Cunningham had to chime in from the sidelines, posting on social media: “KELSEY FREAKIN MITCHELL.” Caitlin Clark added her voice too, capturing the moment with just two words: “MVP Kels.”

Indeed, Mitchell has put herself in the MVP race for the 2025 season. With Clark currently sidelined with injury, the veteran guard is leading the offense for the team. And what a way she has taken charge. However, will this be enough to keep Fever’s postseason hopes alive?

A tough road lies ahead for the Indiana Fever

Despite edging out the Connecticut Sun, the celebration feels premature for Indiana. The Fever are battered, bruised, and staggering toward the finish line. Sitting in sixth place is far from secure when it comes to playoff positioning. And their upcoming schedule only makes matters worse. Nine games remain, and every one of them will shape their postseason fate.

The toughest obstacle looms large: three clashes with the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, who stand at 28-5 and show no signs of slowing down. Indiana’s patched-up roster looks ill-equipped for the challenge, especially with the Lynx riding a six-game win streak heading into Friday’s matchup. On top of that, the Fever will also face DeWanna Bonner and the Phoenix Mercury, a team that embarrassed them with a 35-point blowout in their last meeting and will surely be eager to repeat the feat.

Meanwhile, the Valkyries are circling. Sitting just below Indiana in seventh, head coach Natalie Nakase’s debut squad is hungry to leapfrog into a playoff spot. A postseason appearance in their very first season would be historic. And Indiana’s grueling schedule may provide the opening they need. For the Indiana Fever, hope rests on Caitlin Clark’s swift return and the steady brilliance of Kelsey Mitchell. Without them, the road ahead could turn from difficult to disastrous.