With the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft, Kelsey Mitchell, and the No. 8 choice, Victoria Vivians, Indiana boasted a pair of top-eight picks for the first time in its history. Both came with significant college recognition – Mitchell the NCAA’s career 3-point leader from Ohio State and Vivians a two-time NCAA finalist from Mississippi State.
And shoot 3-pointers, they did, Mitchell finishing with 70 and Vivians 65, the third and fifth-best rookie figures in WNBA history. Together, their 135 combined 3-pointers were easily the most by a rookie duo in league history. Vivians’ 39.9 percent clip beyond the arc was the fifth-best of any WNBA rookie ever to make at least 50 3-pointers.
Mitchell finished second on the club with 12.7 points per game and 2.7 assists per game. Her 432 points and 92 assists were the second-best figures by an Indiana rookie since Tamika Catchings in 2002. Her season scoring high was 26 points, three times.
Vivians, meanwhile, became a Fever staple both offensively and defensively. She was fifth on the club with 8.9 points per game and tops in steals with an average of 3.2. She followed Mitchell as the No. 3 rookie scorer in Fever history and her 107 rebounds were second to Catchings in 2002. Vivians’ 27 points at Atlanta on July 1 were the most ever scored by an Indiana rookie not named Catchings.
Fever Hit Twice on Draft Night