Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has been one of the best players in the WNBA this season. The Ohio State product is second in the league in scoring and has made a strong case for MVP votes.
When USA Basketball named its original 12-person roster for the 2026 FIBA World Cup, Mitchell was not on it, which raised some eyebrows. On Monday, USA hoops announced that Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson would miss the tournament due to health issues, replacing them with Washington Mystics second-year standouts Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
Mitchell once again not getting the call has led to some additional fan backlash, though there appears to be a very reasonable explanation why she’s not going to Berlin.
Fans want answers
Social media exploded with reactions from observers wondering why Mitchell isn’t in USA basketball’s plans.
“Kelsey Mitchell & Shakira Austin? No?” one fan asked.
“Why isn’t Kelsey Mitchell an option?” another fan wondered, with a third person calling it “disgraceful” that Mitchell was neglected.
“League getting too comfortable disrespecting Kelsey Mitchell,” a fourth fan said.
“It’s a bit concerning they really should’ve took Kelsey Mitchell as the replacement guard. I’m not sure if she doesn’t wanna do it or something,” a fifth fan added.
This may make sense after all
Mitchell’s play is worthy of an inclusion on the women’s national team. She has set the WNBA record for most consecutive 20-point games, and is part of the league’s most dangerous backcourt, along with Caitlin Clark.
However, it’s been a while since she has been in the Team USA 5×5 pipeline, though she did win a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup. Also, Mitchell is pretty busy off the court right now as well; she’s currently studying for her PhD in educational leadership, taking online classes at Liberty University.
“Recently, I just did a research class, and it was the worst in my life, y’all,” Mitchell said in the spring. “I was fighting for my life.
“But I think, in retrospect, it’s good for me because the discipline that is kind of maintained with doing school and still being a pro, and what I do. It’s kind of like, keeps me grounded, keeps me focused, keep me, I don’t know, keep me in tune with the world.”
While this may not be the reason Mitchell won’t represent America at the FIBA World Cup, it seems like a likely explanation for why she wouldn’t have a problem staying home.
About Matt Hladik