Kelsey Mitchell admits Fever's biggest weakness is off the court

The Indiana Fever have struggled since Caitlin Clark injured her left quad. The team lost 83-77 to the Mystics on May 28 and 85-83 to the Sun on May 30. While speaking to reporters following Monday's practice, Kelsey Mitchell admitted that the real struggle the team is facing is as much an off the court problem as it is an on the court one: they're just overthinking everything.

"I think the one thing that we've all been struggling with lately is just making conscious decisions, unconsciously," she explained, per Scott Agness. I think that we've been overthinking a bit, in every aspect, the last couple of games."

Mitchell also said coach Stephanie White has emphasized a similar point to the team since Friday's game. The team needs to simplify the entire process of playing the game, she added. "Making the right play, but keeping it simple. And not overthinking. I think too often, overthinking the process a bit... and I think the right play is always the simple one."

The Indiana Fever have made a roster change

On June 2 the Fever announced the team had signed Aari McDonald to a hardship contract, which will keep her on the team for seven days. This means McDonald will be available for the team's games against the Mystics and Sky — which could also indicate that the Fever expect Caitlin Clark to return in time for the team's game against the Dream on June 10.

McDonald was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft and most recently averaged 8.7 points per game and 3.7 assists in 26 games for the Sparks in 2024. Teams can exercise a hardship contract if they have at least two players who are unable to play for an extended period of time (in this case, the Fever has three). The player who signs a hardship contract gets 75% of the minimum base salary, and perhaps most importantly, another shot at proving their abilities on the court. The contracts are temporary and offer no guarantee that a player will have a permanent spot on a team.

Sydney Colson is expected to play this week

Colson was not listed on the Fever's injury report ahead of tomorrow's game and is expected to play against the Mystics, which may mean that McDonald will only see limited playtime. Colson has the ability to stabilize the Fever's offense in Clark's absence, especially if the team can stop overthinking and focus on what moves need to be made on the floor.