Kelsey Mitchell’s rare “double ankle breaker” move—one that left Atlanta’s Te-Hina Paopao’s feet out of control—became an instant social media hit after the Indiana Fever fell 113-96 to the Atlanta Dream on Saturday. Even as the Fever struggled through a rough
For the third quarter and beyond, the Indiana Fever looked like they were chasing a game that kept slipping away—until Kelsey Mitchell finally created a moment so wild it pulled attention from the scoreboard.
On Saturday, Indiana fell to the Atlanta Dream 113-96. The loss didn’t come from one single stretch—it was the kind of weekend collapse that built through the second half, when the Fever were “bullied” and the deficit kept widening.
But while the Fever were absorbing the damage, Mitchell provided the kind of play that makes viewers stop mid-scroll. After the game. reactions clustered around her signature burst: she made a move that sent Atlanta’s Te-Hina Paopao to the floor area. and the highlight ended with Mitchell draining a wide-open 3-pointer.
That’s when the viral language took over.
Mitchell’s action was described as a “double ankle breaker.” An “ankle breaker” is usually one defender getting thrown off balance on a single foot. This one. though. left both of Paopao’s feet out of control—two steps suddenly uncoupled. the kind of stumble that reads like a malfunction even to people who don’t know the technical term.
Sports and entertainment author Shea Serrano joined the chorus, calling the move so rare it deserved recognition beyond the highlight reel. He wrote on social media: “i’ve been watching basketball for 40 years and i have NEVER seen someone get BOTH of their ankles broken at the same time.”
The quote spread fast, because it captured exactly why the play stuck. Even fans who were focused on the Fever’s rough second half couldn’t ignore how Mitchell’s footwork turned into a headline moment—brief, explosive, and almost impossible to see coming.
And in a game that ended 113-96, that contrast mattered: while Indiana’s night unraveled, Mitchell’s “double ankle breaker” gave people a single image they could carry forward long after the final buzzer.
Kelsey Mitchell Indiana Fever Atlanta Dream Te-Hina Paopao double ankle breaker Caitlin Clark Stephanie White Shea Serrano