Kelsey Mitchell has been balling out hard for the Indiana Fever lately. Despite playing out of position, Mitchell led the Fever to a 22-point victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday. She herself scored 26 points to carry this injury-riddled Fever team and has seemed to impress former UConn star Renee Montgomery and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.
Both Montgomery and Staley had good things to say about Mitchell by halftime of the game. Montgomery believes Mitchell’s motor and pace are the perfect fit to complement alongside any post player. Speaking about her partnership alongside Aliyah Boston, Montgomery said:
“She’s giving Christmas gifts out to every post player she plays with.”
Montgomery further added how Mitchell has passed the ball when the opponent’s offense and defense breaks. Dawn Staley agreed, but had another question for Montgomery following her analysis.
In an amused manner, Staley asked the Atlanta Dream vice president if Kelsey Mitchell made it to her MVP list to which they both laughed. She later quoted this interaction with the caption:
“😂😂@dawnstaley & this MVP list.”
😂😂 @dawnstaley & this MVP list https://t.co/3zQUTpkuDb
— Renee Montgomery (@ReneeMontgomery) August 10, 2025
Indeed, Mitchell’s performance did deserve MVP-worthy praise and ranks within the conversation. Thanks to her, the Fever built a 48-37 half-time lead while shooting 17 for 33.
Kelsey Mitchell finished the night shooting 33 for 70 overall, adding 26 points, three rebounds, and eight assists in the game. It is worth noting that Mitchell signed a $249,244 contract with the Indiana Fever in January 2025.
Former UConn star Renee Montgomery’s MVP list has some of the best WNBA players
When it comes to recognizing talent, no one has an eye as good as ex UConn player Renee Montgomery. The two-time WNBA champion has a definitive list for her top choices to win the MVP award this season. Did Kelsey Mitchell make it into this list? Unfortunately not. But given Montgomery’s choices, it’s quite valid because Mitchell has a lot of competition to live up to in making this list.
One of Montgomery’s top choices is Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, who is already putting up big numbers and leading the way for the team. Alyssa Thomas also makes the list with her valuable additions to the stats sheet. Montgomery also mentions Rickea Jackson as the “X-Factor of the Year” for this season.
Speaking fondly of the Los Angeles Sparks forward, Montgomery said:
“If you haven’t been keeping up, when she plays well, the sparks are hard to beat.”
.@ReneeMontgomery brings us her TOP 5 PLAYERS in the @WNBA MVP race 👀 pic.twitter.com/m5bOexNmuc
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) August 9, 2025
Besides, A’ja Wilson also finds a mention on Montgomery’s list, scoring 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this season. But Kelsey Mitchell’s case could be a tough cut in here, given she has consistently performed whenever the Fever needed her to.
One of her best performance was against the Sparks last week, scoring 34 points and six assists. Perhaps, if Mitchell continues to light up defenses this way, she might soon as well find a place on Montgomery’s list.
Related:
