Kelsey Mitchell is pursuing a Ph. D. in educational leadership at Liberty University while enjoying her best WNBA season with the Indiana Fever. Ranked second in league scoring behind A'ja Wilson, she is leading Indiana in a playoff push against the Las Vegas Aces.

Mitchell applies lessons from basketball to her academic work to her doctorate studies, using real-life team experiences in discussion posts and papers. She aims to become an athletic director to increase representation of women and people of color in sports leadership. Mitchell’s dedication was highlighted last year when she collapsed from rhabdomyolysis during a playoff game, a condition from overexertion.

Despite the health scare, she continues to play at an elite level, setting a WNBA record with 27 consecutive 20-point games and averaging a franchise-best 24.7 points per season. Drafted second overall by the Fever in 2018, she is Indiana’s longest-tenured player, having witnessed the team’s rebuild and rise with stars like Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. Mitchell sees her athletic and academic pursuits as interconnected, both driven by her desire to uplift others.

She hopes to bring Indiana its first WNBA title since 2012 while mentoring the next generation of student-athletes through her dual journey.