It was a devastating night for the Indiana Fever on Tuesday as they fell to the Las Vegas Aces during overtime in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals.
There was one particularly scary moment during the night when one Fever player suffered what appeared to be a very serious injury.
Guard Kelsey Mitchell was playing a very strong game and had scored a total of 15 points when suddenly she collapsed to the floor midway through the third quarter and remained there for an extended period of time as medical staff rushed to assist her. Her teammates surrounded the area and held out towels to try to give Mitchell privacy as she was assessed. A stretcher was rolled out for her, but ultimately, Mitchell was able to get to her feet with some assistance and was helped off the court while avoiding putting any weight on her left leg.
The game would end up concluding with a final score of 98-107.
It was shared later that evening that Mitchell had been taken to the hospital, where she was being treated with fluids. Fever coach Stephanie White shared that Mitchell had experienced some lower-body cramping, but the extent of her condition was not yet known.
On Wednesday, October 1, the Fever shared an update on Mitchell on their Instagram page, including a statement from the star player directly.
Mitchell explained that she had suffered something known as rhabdomyolysis, which is a condition in which muscles break down.
She explained the terrifying moment she lost feeling in her lower body and knew something was very wrong.
"I went into a sense of numbness/paralyzing feeling with no movement from my lower extremities for up to five to seven seconds," she began.
“Because my muscles stopped producing positive blood to my bloodstream, my body locked up from a physical standpoint, and from there, fatigue and cramping settled in. It sucked,” she said.
Mitchell is expected to make a full recovery and shared that she is up and moving at a “slow pace.” She thanked fans for their love and prayers.