Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is joining her Fever teammate Jantel Lavender in the Athletes Unlimited Basketball League.
On Tuesday, the AU League announced the addition of Mitchell and several other players including Lexie Brown and Mercedes Russell. This new group of players finalizes the 44-player roster for the AU’s inaugural season, which is set to begin January 26 in Las Vegas.
In total, the 44 women hail from 18 states and the District of Columbia, and 43 have represented a total of 37 NCAA Division I institutions. Forty-two have spent time in international professional leagues, while 16 have WNBA experience across 97 seasons and six championships.
Mitchell, who is the most heralded player ever to come out of Ohio State University, has not missed a beat since being drafted second overall by Indiana in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
Last season with the Fever, she finished as the eighth leading scorer in the WNBA. She would also go on to ascend to third all-time in 3-point field goals made (275), fourth in scoring (1,859 points), fifth in field goals made (659) and seventh in assists (324) in Fever franchise ranks.
Mitchell’s scoring efforts will continue to be a top storyline in the upcoming 2022 season, but first fans will get a chance see her in action with Athletes Unlimited.
“I am honored and thrilled to be part of Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural basketball season” Mitchell said in press statement. “AU offers women another opportunity to play professional basketball in the United States and will provide national television exposure that will help us grow the game we love to play.” I