INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever star guard Kelsey Mitchell revealed this Wednesday that a medical condition affected the functioning of her muscles, preventing her from moving her legs during the WNBA semifinal game on Tuesday night. Mitchell shared details about what happened through his social media. The incident occurred at the end of the third quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Aces, which culminated in a 107-98 overtime loss. This victory secured the Aces their third WNBA final in four years and eliminated the Fever after a surprising playoff run. In the game, Aliyah Boston received her fifth foul while setting a screen for Mitchell, who was heading to the basket. Mitchell fell to the ground, and both players and coaches approached to assist her, using towels to protect her privacy. Although a stretcher was prepared, it was not needed. Mitchell managed to stand up and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
“I suffered from something called rhabdomyolysis last night. My muscles stopped producing and reached their maximum capacity,” Mitchell wrote. “I went into a feeling of numbness/paralysis, unable to move my lower extremities for 5 to 7 seconds.”
Kelsey MitchellMitchell added that she is recovering and thanked the coaches and doctors who attended to her both in the arena and in the hospital. The 29-year-old player, a former Ohio State star who played high school basketball in the Cincinnati suburbs, was a key piece in Indiana’s outstanding season. After participating in her third All-Star Game, she led the team in scoring during the regular season, averaging 20.2 points. She repeated this feat in the postseason, with an average of 22.3 points in 32.6 minutes in eight playoff games. The Fever played without four key players, including All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, due to season-ending injuries. Despite this, Indiana, driven by Mitchell, won its first playoff series in a decade, overcoming a 1-0 deficit in the first-round series against Atlanta. The Fever took the Aces, the second seed, to a decisive fifth game and overtime, despite losing Boston to fouls and Mitchell to cramps.“I panicked because I started thinking the worst when I felt I couldn’t move my legs. It was an out-of-body experience for me and I thank God for protecting me at such a time”.
Kelsey Mitchell“… I literally played until my wheels fell off,” Mitchell wrote. “THANK YOU for the prayers, love, respect and support throughout this.”
Kelsey Mitchell
