In the world of professional sports, where narratives are often dominated by rising stars and unexpected fame, there are still players who grind relentlessly in the shadows, waiting for their moment to shine. Kelsey Mitchell, one of the Indiana Fever’s most compelling and persistent talents, has done the unimaginable by officially being named one of the five finalists for the WNBA’s prestigious 2025 MVP award. This isn’t just a monumental milestone in Mitchell’s career; it’s a powerful statement of her true value, silencing her critics and forcing the entire league to re-evaluate its assumptions.

The announcement of the MVP finalists sent shockwaves through the WNBA. While many were focused on the usual suspects like A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell’s inclusion was a significant upset, especially for the so-called “experts” who have overlooked her for years. They were too busy fixating on the league’s traditional superstars to notice a player who has quietly torched defenses for multiple seasons without proper recognition. Now, she is sitting at the same table as the league’s most celebrated players, demanding to be noticed.

Before the new era ushered in by Caitlyn Clark and Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell was largely labeled as a “talented scorer on a bad team.” That was the narrative she carried through the Indiana Fever’s darkest years, when the franchise was buried in irrelevance and plagued by one losing season after another. She would put up 18, 19, or 20 points a night, but those numbers seemed to mean nothing to the outside world. Fans would shrug, and the Fever would lose, with nobody outside Indiana truly caring.

But the story has changed. When Aliyah Boston arrived, bringing her Rookie of the Year title and a foundational piece to the team, Indiana finally had something again. People started paying attention to Fever games for the first time in a decade. Even then, Mitchell was largely seen as a secondary scorer, at least that’s how the narrative was sold. Then, of course, Caitlyn Clark entered the picture—the “golden child” of women’s basketball, the marketing magnet, the star that ESPN couldn’t stop showing. Overnight, the Fever went from being irrelevant to being the most talked-about team in the league.

What’s truly remarkable is that Clark’s arrival didn’t overshadow Mitchell; it amplified her. When Clark joined the team, everyone assumed the ball would be in her hands at all times, that the team would revolve around her, and that Mitchell would fade into the background as a veteran helper. But that didn’t happen. Mitchell’s game didn’t shrink; it expanded. She reminded the world that she is still the “engine of this offense” when needed.

Playing alongside Caitlyn opened up the floor in ways Mitchell had never experienced before. Opposing defenses could no longer just key in on her. And when those defenders made the mistake of focusing too much on Clark, Mitchell made them pay, possession after possession, with mid-range jumpers, threes, and daring drives to the rim. She forced defenses to pay for every single lazy rotation.

The same critics who spent years dismissing Mitchell’s style—calling her a “black hole” on offense, saying she didn’t create enough for others, and claiming she couldn’t lead a winning team—must now admit that her production, consistency, and impact on Indiana’s resurgence are MVP caliber. This is the kind of reversal that gets under the skin of critics who built their brands on the pretense that Mitchell wasn’t that good.

While Kelsey Mitchell is unlikely to win the MVP award—as A’ja Wilson remains the heavy favorite—her inclusion on the shortlist is about a long-overdue recognition. It’s about making people admit they were wrong to act like she didn’t belong in the top tier of guards. It’s about putting her name in a conversation where it always should have been. From Aliyah Boston last year to Kelsey Mitchell this year, Indiana Fever players are now a regular part of these award conversations. For a franchise that was rotting in irrelevance for a decade, this is a complete and total turnaround.

Mitchell has also benefited from the Fever finally having a coach who knows what to do with her. Under Stephanie White, Mitchell was given the freedom to be the first option when necessary, but within a structured offense that maximized her strengths. It was no longer a matter of just “giving her the ball and hoping for the best.” Now, sets are run to get her open looks, and plays are drawn up to leverage her speed. White has “unlocked” a version of Mitchell that had been hiding in plain sight. The comparisons to Allen Iverson—an undersized, lightning-quick guard impossible to stay in front of—are not far off. She has that same relentless scorer mentality, the WNBA’s version of a guard who refuses to be ignored.

Mitchell’s value to the Fever this season is undeniable. Without her, Clark’s transition into the league would have been much rougher. Without her, Boston would have faced double teams on every possession. Without her, Indiana would not be in the playoff conversation. That’s value, plain and simple.

The Fever now look loaded with talent. Boston is the Rookie of the Year and an All-Star big. Clark is the phenom and ratings magnet. And now, Mitchell is an MVP finalist. This is a core that can contend for years. The Fever went from bottom feeders to a legitimate threat in two seasons, and Mitchell’s persistence is the bridge that made that transition possible. She endured the worst years so she could be a part of this incredible rise.

And the haters? They’re furious. They can’t believe someone they spent years dismissing is now being celebrated. They can’t believe Indiana, of all franchises, suddenly has multiple stars in award conversations. They can’t believe Mitchell is no longer easy to ignore. But that’s the reality. She earned it. She forced her way into the spotlight through persistence, production, and patience. And now the league has no choice but to recognize her.

Kelsey Mitchell is an MVP finalist. The haters are scrambling. And the Fever, a team that was once a joke, suddenly look like a franchise with multiple stars. If that doesn’t prove her value, nothing will.