"Kelsey Mitchell 1st option hoops ain't taking any team to the playoffs": Fever fans shred $249,244 star's no-show in another Caitlin Clark-less loss 

Kelsey Mitchell had a forgettable outing during Friday's 88-84 loss to the Washington Mystics as the Indiana Fever failed to win without Caitlin Clark again. The superstar point guard remains sidelined without a timetable, citing a right groin injury.

The Fever were on a roll post the All-Star break, winning five out of six games. However, since a 100-91 loss to the LA Sparks on Aug. 5, the Fever have slumped to a 1-4 record.

The winning run had many of Clark's detractors amped as they suggested the Fever may not need her as much as people think. Meanwhile, most even said that Mitchell, who re-signed on a $249,244 contract last offseason, was their best player.

However, a 14-point game against the Mystics while shooting 6-of-19 put Mitchell in the Fever fan base's firing line. Her two-point fourth quarter on 1-of-7 shooting, in particular, was one of the major reasons why the fans turned on her. Mitchell also went for a layup and missed with 14.5 seconds left, and the Fever were trailing by three.

Here's how they reacted to Mitchell's outing after the close loss:

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@LawSzn

Kelsey Mitchell 1st option hoops ain't taking any team to the playoffs. She is a bucket, but she ain't no floor raiser.

kb ⚡️

@kerrrr22

Kelsey Mitchell is going to lead this team back to the fucking lottery for a seventh year without Caitlin Clark playing......................... The @IndianaFever need to run the offense through Aliyah Boston if they want a hope in hell of treading water until Caitlin gets back.

Danny Kromrie

@DKromrie

@Jay_3shifty You tell me what elite is. If you think that’s Kelsey Mitchell, we’ll have to agree to disagree.

RG | Big Koda

@kodaTvv

Kelsey mitchell lacks basic basketball iq, im genuinely just at a loss of words

kb ⚡️

@kerrrr22

@_TheChief__ @nosyone4 They're forcing the Kelsey Mitchell No. 1 option agenda.................

F*ck Cancel Culture

@chainer2111

Kelsey Mitchell once again, with the ball in her hands at the end and she couldn't produce Who's ready to talk ?

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Stephanie White unhappy with Fever ball watching Kelsey Mitchell in Caitlin Clark's absence

Stephanie White was unhappy with her Indiana Fever player, ball-watching Kelsey Mitchell. White suggested that the Fever have become over-reliant on Mitchell to deliver amid the team's point guard conundrum with Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson sidelined.

She enforced her belief that the Fever must move the ball around as much as possible.

"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."

The Fever's ball and player movement helped them during their 5-1 run post the All-Star break. However, they also had more stability at the point of attack with Aari McDonald and Sydney Coldon sharing the ball-handling responsibilities. Kelsey Mitchell isn't naturally a point guard, which makes things tricky for Indiana offensively.

The Fever need reliable playmaking to optimize not just other players, but also Mitchell, who is excellent as a scoring threat while playing organized offense.