Kelsey Mitchell criticizes Fever's ‘soft’ performance after loss to Valkyries

Fever fall to .500 after loss to Golden State Valkyries

The Indiana Fever dropped to 6–6 in the 2025 WNBA regular season following an 88–77 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on June 19. The game marked the team’s third contest in six days and came just two days after a high-intensity matchup with the Connecticut Sun.

Playing without head coach Stephanie White and facing a strong Valkyries home crowd, the Fever struggled to maintain energy and consistency on both ends of the floor. Despite these challenges, Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell expressed that none of the circumstances justified the team’s performance.


Also read: Kayla Thornton leads Valkyries past Caitlin Clark, Fever in WNBA

Mitchell finished the game with 16 points over 33 minutes. Afterward, she was candid about the Fever’s lack of physicality and competitive edge.

Kelsey Mitchell calls out Indiana’s effort, urges more aggression

Speaking to reporters after the loss, Kelsey Mitchell emphasized that the team as a whole lacked toughness against a more aggressive Golden State squad.

“Overall, it’s not about Caitlin [Clark] specifically. I thought it was about our entire group. We were soft,” Mitchell said, according to a post by Debbie Antonelli on X. “They made us pay by being stronger, being tougher. 50/50 balls, deflections, getting in the passing lanes. That's just a piece of being aggressive, and having an ability to look at our best player and be like 'Nah, they gonna be aggressive.'”

She continued, “And we allowed it. Kind of tucked our tail a little bit, on the aggression side... We have to learn to... be aggressive and stop being so soft. And as a group, we just collectively allowed too much.”

Mitchell’s remarks highlight an ongoing challenge for the Fever as they aim to establish themselves as consistent playoff contenders. Indiana’s roster features emerging star Caitlin Clark, but Mitchell’s comments indicate a need for more team-wide resilience and physical intensity.

Also read: Fever vs Sky: Kelsey Mitchell stars as Indiana beat Chicago 79-52 in WNBA

Kelsey Mitchell criticizes Fever's ‘soft’ performance after loss to Valkyries


Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell voiced her frustration following the team’s 88–77 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. Citing a lack of toughness and aggression, Mitchell called the Fever’s effort “soft” in the June 19 matchup. Indiana now looks to regroup ahead of their next WNBA game against the Las Vegas Aces
The Fever will aim to bounce back when they face the Las Vegas Aces on June 22, a game that could serve as a measuring stick against one of the league’s elite teams. With the WNBA season approaching its midpoint, Indiana’s performance in high-pressure situations will be critical to its postseason hopes.