Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell reached out to ‘close friend’ D’Angelo Russell for advice ahead of first playoff appearance
In need of playoff advice, Kelsey Mitchell went to the most logical source possible: D’Angelo Russell.
The Lakers and the NBA might be far from postseason action, but the Indiana Fever and the WNBA are not.
In case you haven't noticed, the Fever are having a culture-changing season. They are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and are shattering attendance records and television ratings.
With this unprecedented attention and pressure, Fever star Kelsey Mitchell reached out to someone who knows a thing or two about playing postseason action under the brightest of lights: D'Angelo Russell.
Mitchell discussed her conversation with the Lakers star after Wednesday's practice.
“I recently talked to my close friend D’Angelo Russell. We go way back. Me and him go back to the point where we trained together at Ohio State. We kind of know each other so, from that perspective, it was good to get a conversation in regards to how [the playoffs] looked. I also got a chance to talk to [Miles] McBride…he made a run with the Knicks, so he knew what it was like, too. We’re from the same home town. I like to get as much information as I can so it’s been exciting to hear about it.”
Now Mitchell listening to Russell, who has had some genuinely horrendous playoff performances, might scare Indy fans.
After all, Russell just came off another rough postseason: he averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists across five games against the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Those numbers are well below his regular season average and don't even demonstrate how bad Russell was for the Lakers in the playoffs.
Denver dared Russell to hurt them, but he could never do it. In Game 1, the Lakers' best 3-point shooter went 1-9 from deep and he followed that performance up with a scoreless Game 3.
So, why go to Russell to discuss postseason play? Because while success is a great resource, failure might be an even better one.
Perhaps Russell could advise Mitchell on how to get back up and respond after setbacks. After a poor start, he improved his play during the rest of the series and as he infamously stated, "Public humiliation has done nothing but molded me into the killer that y'all see today."
Russell can also relate to the pressure Mitchell must feel as Caitlin Clark's teammate as he plays alongside LeBron James, the biggest basketball star ever.
It's hard for athletes to find anyone who can legitimately relate to what they are going through. Given his Ohio State affiliation, playing in a big market, and understanding what it's like to fall short in the postseason, Russell has more in common with Mitchell than most.
If she plays well and the Fever have a great run, it may mean Russell has learned something from these experiences and shared it with her. If she folds like a plastic picnic chair, then prepare for the memes and this to be another butt to the joke that Russell and the playoffs don't mix, even in the WNBA.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.