Kelsey Mitchell Just Named the Three Players She Studied. Iverson Made the List.

Kelsey Mitchell is on an absolute tear right now. The Indiana Fever guard dropped 29 points, eight assists and three steals Thursday night in a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury. That’s three wins in the last four games for Indiana, now sitting at 13-9. And they did it without Caitlin Clark, who sat out the second half of a back-to-back.

Mitchell has been averaging 28.2 points over her last five games. That’s not a hot streak anymore. That’s a full-blown heater.

After the game, Candace Parker asked Mitchell during the broadcast who she modeled her game after. The answer was three names, and the first one might not surprise you.

Mitchell’s Mount Rushmore of influences

“Allen Iverson. I’m not gonna lie to y’all,” Mitchell said. “But as I got older, Cappie Pondexter became my favorite player. Just seeing her movements, her swiftness, and seeing how she approached the game. Her and Epiphanny Prince, as they got older as pros, they were who I started to watch.”

Mitchell explained that when she realized she might make it to the pro level, she locked in on those two guards specifically. “Them guys are doing it at the highest level,” she said. “So I would see Cappie and Epiphanny Prince and appreciate their game because they were fast, the twitches and movements, and the ability to get to your spots is very important as guards. Those guys made it look easy, so I just tried to model my game after quick guards.”

Pondexter and Prince are two of the most underrated guards of their era, at least among casual fans. Pondexter won two championships and a Finals MVP, plus four All-WNBA selections and seven All-Star nods. She retired with Indiana back in 2018. Prince was a one-time champion and two-time All-Star who hung it up with the Liberty in 2023.

Where Mitchell sits in the league right now

Mitchell entered the WNBA in 2018 and is currently sitting third in scoring at 22.5 points per game. Only A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are ahead of her. That’s a pretty good place to be when you’re also carrying the load for a Fever team that’s trying to make noise.

The Fever have been a different team lately. Clark has been the headliner since she got drafted, but Mitchell’s been the engine on nights like Thursday. And it’s not just scoring. She had three steals and those eight assists against the Mercury. She’s playing the kind of ball that makes you think Indiana could be a real problem in the playoffs.

It’s also worth noting that Mitchell didn’t just name the obvious picks. She went with Iverson for the swagger and the handle, sure. But Pondexter and Prince? Those are deep cuts for someone her age. She clearly studied the game beyond the highlight reels.