Caitlin Clark at the Centre of Kelsey Mitchell Receiving Criticism From Fever Fans Ahead of Playoffs

Two days ago, Indy was buzzing. The Slippery Noodle was packed, Hoosier Heritage glasses were clinking, and downtown felt alive with one name on everyone’s lips. It wasn’t Caitlin Clark’s this time, but Kelsey Mitchell’s. For the second year in a row, she’s the reason playoff basketball is back in Indiana. Mitchell has been a constant presence for the team by starting every game for the past three years, carrying the Fever through injuries. As Andrew Haubner put it on No Cap Space WBB, “I think Kelsey Mitchell made a first-team All-WNBA case in the last three, four weeks… this team simply is not here without her.” But here’s the catch: not everyone’s buying in.

Some fans aren’t thrilled with how she’s gotten there. They’re throwing around the dreaded tag: ball hog. For anyone unfamiliar, it’s basically the basketball version of calling someone selfish at the dinner table: taking more than your share and not passing the plate. Is it fair? Well, not really.

In a September 11, 2025, episode of Mick Talks Hoops, the host said, “I know some people are not going to be happy because they’re not the biggest fans of Kelsey Mitchell, because she’s been a bit of a ball hog this season. But she kind of has to be a ball hog. Like when Caitlin’s not there, if Kelsey Mitchell’s not a ball hog and doing something, or Odyssey Sims isn’t creating for herself, nothing happens in this offense.”

Now, let’s look at the numbers. Mitchell’s averaging 3.4 assists per game. That’s not the same as Clark’s 8.8 for sure, but it puts her right in the mix with the rest of the Fever’s creators: Aari McDonald (4.7), Odyssey Sims (4.0), and Aliyah Boston (3.7). And then, of course, there’s her 20.2 points per game contribution. That’s the point: Mitchell’s a scorer, not a pure facilitator.

Just hit rewind on that career-high 38-point masterpiece in Connecticut on August 17, when Kelsey Mitchell straight up stole the game from the Sun. Thirty-four of those points came after halftime. Also, this season, she became the first player in franchise history to average 20 or more points per game. Even without Clark on the floor, Mitchell led the Fever straight into the postseason and was pretty much the heartbeat of the team in the process.

The problem is, fans don’t always vibe with that distinction. They see the buckets, but not the overall balance of her play. And while Mitchell’s proving herself unguardable, the internet jury’s still out on whether they love the way she’s doing it.

Ball hog or not, fans can’t stop debating Kelsey Mitchell

A frustrated fan summed it up on social media: “Is anyone else getting sick of Kelsey Mitchell being a ball hog game after game? They don’t pass to open players #Fever or just me #WNBA.” But before anyone runs with that label, maybe rewind the tape to Indiana’s 92–70 win over Chicago on August 9. That night was anything but selfish basketball. Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald had just gone down with season-ending injuries in the Fever’s previous game against Phoenix on August 7. Caitlin Clark was sidelined with a right groin injury since July 15, with no timetable for return.

Indiana couldn’t even sign a hardship replacement before tip-off, as the players have to officially miss a game before those contracts can be granted. So the Fever were left with just nine active players, and that meant Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham had to handle emergency point guard duties. Normally, Kelsey Mitchell is the starting 2, and Cunningham is the 3. But even out of position, Mitchell absolutely shone. In 32 minutes, she brought the ball up the floor, ran the two-man game with Aliyah Boston, and found her in all the right spots. She picked her moments wisely, hunted her own shots when needed, and finished 9-of-18 from the field, 4-of-8 from deep, and poured in a game-high 26 points.

More importantly, Kelsey Mitchell recorded a season-high eight assists, just one off her career mark, while turning the ball over once. For someone tagged a “ball hog,” that’s point guard efficiency. Mitchell herself put it humbly: “I believe in my team, so seeing these assists go up, it’s because of these girls. We have unbelievable chemistry when it comes to seeing and reading each other. So I think they made me look good tonight.”

Her head coach agreed. Stephanie White gushed afterward: “She let the game come to her. Her decision-making has been really good when she had those eight assists, (with) only one turnover. Her shot-making was really good, as it always is, and we know that she was going to create a lot of gravity because of what she does on the offensive end. And she did a really good job of picking her moments and finding her teammates when she needed to.”

So why the endless “ball hog” talk? Even after a night like that, some fans stayed relentless: “Trade ball hog Kelsey Mitchell! Unwatchable. Nothing but hate for her.” Others piled on: “MVPs don’t ball hog or play selfish. Mitchell ain’t MVP material for it.” We doubt Stephanie White would co-sign those takes.

After all, in her own MVP short list (A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas), she made sure to add Mitchell’s name: “But I also think, let’s not forget Kelsey Mitchell. What Kelsey Mitchell has done with this group, and every time we’ve had a setback, her numbers have just continued to get better. When you think about a player that has been most valuable to their franchise throughout the course of a season, Kelsey Mitchell’s name has to be in there.”

Moreover, Kelsey Mitchell isn’t the only one fans love throwing the “ball hog” label at. Odyssey Sims caught strays, too: “It’s over. Y’all suck. Sims is another Kelsey Mitchell. We got the two biggest ball hogs on our team.” Harsh words for someone who currently ranks third in Fever assists behind Caitlin Clark and Aari McDonald, and technically the highest active assist player on the roster.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because the same movie played earlier with Natasha Howard. Remember that moment against the Liberty? About 30 seconds left in the first half, Howard got the ball in the low post. Caitlin Clark, waiting beyond the arc, ran towards her, waving for the pass. Howard kept it, worked her dribble, and scored inside. Caitlin Clark visibly threw her arms up in frustration. Fans clipped it, ran it on social, and just like that, Howard was suddenly the “ball hog.”

That’s the pattern. When the spotlight is good, the flowers go to Caitlin Clark. When the criticism comes, teammates absorb the blame. And Mitchell knows it a little too well. One fan even spelled it out on Facebook with side-by-side photos of Mitchell and Boston: “Clark’s delusional fans can stay mad and call me all the names in the book, but we all saw (including y’all) who carries my Fever team and we all know who the offense should be ran through. Whether you like it or not, these two players can win some games without Clark, but Clark can’t win a single game without them. #ArgueWithYaMomma.”

That post hit hard enough that Kelsey’s sister, Chelsea Mitchell, reposted it on July 1 with her own line: “I gotta agree!” Fans haven’t forgotten. They still reference it, sneering: “Kelsey Mitchell’s family is delusional too. She’s nothing but a ball hog.” That’s more than a little much for a player who’s dragged Indiana to back-to-back playoff appearances and dropped career numbers along the way. Still, it leaves us with the question: Is Kelsey Mitchell really too controlling of the ball, or is she doing exactly what the Fever needs her to do? Let us know in the comments below.