The coolest moment of Aces-Fever came in the final seconds

Since 2018, Kelsey Mitchell has been shooting free throws at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

But these two were special.

The Indiana Fever star tallied her 25th point to MVP chants, the Fever moments away from an improbable Game 4 win over the Las Vegas Aces.

The Fever are now one win away from the WNBA Finals, and they’ve done it with six players sidelined: Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Chloe Bibby, and Damiris Dantas.

In Game 4, Aliyah Boston was the hero, tallying a ridiculous stat line of 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. And, throughout these playoffs, Odyssey Sims has been huge — on Saturday afternoon, she exploded for 18 points on 6-9 shooting.

But no one has shouldered a bigger load throughout the Fever’s improbably playoff run than Kelsey Mitchell. So, with the victory just seconds away, Gainbridge Fieldhouse erupted into MVP chants.

“She’s finally getting her flowers,” said Fever head coach Stephanie White.

The WNBA’s actual MVP, A’ja Wilson, put together an MVP-caliber performance of her own, exploding for 31 points in the Aces’ loss.

But, it was Mitchell who walked away with the win, after yet another 20+ point outing; she finished Game 4 with 25 points and 4 assists. The 29-year-old was particularly instrumental in the first half, when she exploded for 15 points to help give Indiana an 8-point halftime lead.

It’s rare for a professional basketball player to spend nearly a decade with the same organization, but Mitchell has managed to do that. Since being drafted in 2018, she’s only made the playoffs twice.

Last year, the postseason experience was brief; the Fever were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round.

“She has been through a lot with this franchise,” White said. The Fever’s head coach saw that first playoff exit firsthand — she was the Sun’s head coach during that very series.

This time, Mitchell is the second-leading scorer of the entire WNBA playoffs, averaging 23.3 points this postseason. The Fever have won 4 games, all of which they were expected to lose. It’s the most wins as an underdog by a single WNBA team in one postseason since the 2021 Chicago Sky, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

Needless to say, the Sky won the WNBA title that season.

The Fever are still one win away.

Beating the second-seeded Aces on their home floor in Game 5 will be a tall task. But Indiana is in it, and Mitchell is a big reason why.

“She loves this game, she just wants to play, and I’m incredibly proud of her,” White said. “I’m thankful that our fans continue to recognize her greatness, and I’m thankful that she decided to come back and join us, certainly, because I have watched Kelsey from afar and wanted to coach her for such a long time and have enjoyed every opportunity that I’ve had.”

Indiana’s fans have been watching Mitchell since she was just 21 years old.

Now, they could see her leading an injury-riddled roster to the Finals.