"It was getting stuck" - Stephanie White slams Fever's over-reliance on $249,244 star in the absence of Caitlin Clark 

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has been preaching ball movement throughout the season, especially as the team struggles with personnel issues due to injuries. Following their loss against the Washington Mystics on Friday, White slammed the team's over-reliance on Kelsey Mitchell again.

White felt that the team got stuck with Mitchell's decisions with the ball, resulting in her taking 19 shots to tally 14 points in the loss.

"It's almost like we gave the ball to Kelsey (Mitchell) and tried to watch her work," Stephanie White said. "And that's not when we're at our best. Yes, we certainly want her to have the ball in her hands, but we have to continue to get movement with and without the basketball. And it was getting stuck."

Fever had 21 assists in the game, nine of which came from Mitchell, who is earning $249,244 in his current contract. After Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham tallied six assists.

The team has been missing three point guards in their past three games as Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson got diagnosed with season-ending injuries, while Caitlin Clark continues to recover from her groin injury.

The loss marked their second straight defeat and bumped them to the seventh seed with an 18-16 record. The Fever held the fifth spot before the string of injuries.

They are now just 1.5 games ahead of the ninth seed, endangering their playoff hopes as they enter the final stretch of the regular season.

Stephanie White lauds Kelsey Mitchell for stepping up and making things happen

Kelsey White has become one of the Fever's most dependable players in the second half of the season, earning her some praise from head coach Stephanie White.

While she criticized how the Fever relied too much on Mitchell against the Mystics, White commended the veteran guard for carrying the cudgels for the team, especially when their offense gets stagnant.

“Kelsey is just, she’s just a baller,” White said. “She just plays…I’m incredibly proud of Kelsey because every time we’ve had a setback or an injury, we’ve had to depend on her more and more. Not just for scoring, which she’s had to carry us at times, but for playmaking."

Mitchell is averaging 20.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Fever this WNBA season.

She is expected to continue being the team's go-to player as they await the return of Caitlin Clark before the regular season ends.