Kelsey Mitchell scored her 5,000th career point in the Indiana Fever’s 83–71 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, finishing with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting. The milestone came as Indiana climbed back above .500 at 5–4 after endi
When the floating jumper dropped in the third quarter, Kelsey Mitchell didn’t just add two points—she crossed a number that few players in franchise history ever reach.
Mitchell surpassed 5,000 career points in the Indiana Fever’s 83–71 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The victory snapped Indiana’s two-game skid and moved the Fever above .500 at 5–4.
She hit the milestone on a shot in the paint, then kept pulling her team forward. Mitchell finished with a game-high 25 points, shooting 11-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range.
Mitchell became the second player in franchise history to score 5,000 or more points, joining Tamika Catchings, who finished with 7,380.
“Anytime I hear Tamika Catchings, I get humbled. She filled a lot of great shoes.,” Mitchell said after the win. “I think that for me it’s less about the accolade and more about the journey and the process. I can recall what it looked like … when it wasn’t so great for me. And so I try to keep a fine line of being excited but also humble.”.
What followed wasn’t a solo celebration. Mitchell pointed directly to the people around her, describing the milestone as something built collectively.
“I’m only as good as the people around me,” Mitchell said. “The organization started investing and putting really big pieces around me… so having Aliyah Boston and having Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hall and the young group that came in over the course of the years has kind of helped me be who I am. And so I don’t think I would be in this position without such a great group.”.
Mitchell has been putting up numbers that match her personal milestone. Through nine games this season, she is averaging a career-high 21.1 points, ranking third in the league. She has scored double digit points in every game, including four performances of 20 points or more.
Indiana also treated Mitchell’s future as a centerpiece. Re-signing her was the No. 1 priority for the Fever this offseason. The team extended a core qualifying offer to Mitchell and she went on to sign a one-year supermax contract worth $1.4 million.
After Thursday’s win, Boston echoed the idea that Mitchell’s impact isn’t measured only by scoring totals. “Kelsey (Mitchell) is one of the biggest pieces of this franchise,” Boston said. “Kelsey was here before we got here. continued to give it her all. continue to show up every single day and we see that example in front of us.”.
“And so to see her get all these accomplishments and pass all these milestones … it just makes me so excited to have a leader and a role model in Kelsey.”
Kelsey Mitchell Indiana Fever Atlanta Dream 5000 career points WNBA Gainbridge Fieldhouse Aliyah Boston Caitlin Clark Lexie Hall Tamika Catchings
so she hit 5,000 points and Fever won… congrats but why does this feel like an ad lol
25 points on 11-of-15 is actually wild. I didn’t even realize Fever were struggling like that, but reaching 5,000 in franchise history is kinda iconic.
wait i thought Caitlin Clark plays for the Dream now? idk all these WNBA teams mess me up. But either way 5k points sounds like she’s been around forever, so good for her.
Tamika Catchings comparison is the only reason I clicked. Like, if Catchings is her bar then she must be doing something right, because 7,380 is insane. Also they said snapped a skid and got above .500, so i’m guessing that means they were like winless? either way nice milestone and i’m glad it wasn’t just one person doing everything