Lakers News: Fever All-Star Reaches Out to Unlikely LA Starter for Playoff Advice

This young star guard asked one of L.A.'s perennial playoff underperformers for... playoff advice.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) defend New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) on Thursday, May 16, 2024, during the Indiana Fever home opener game against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The WNBA playoffs are set to kick off on Sunday as eight teams prepare for their run at a title. There has not been a more star-studded postseason as this year's playoffs will include names like A'ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu . The Indiana Fever who are led by the insanely talented backcourt of phenom Caitlin Clarke and electric scorer Kelsey Mitchell are looking to shock the world as they represent this franchise in their first playoff appearance since 2016.

Indiana's first overall selection of Clark put an unprecedented number of eyes on this franchise, as they broke every attendance and viewership record in the WNBA this regular season. Despite this being their first trip back to playoffs in a number of years, the Fever will have a massive amount of pressure to perform as they have quickly become the most popular team in the WNBA.

After their practice on Wednesday, Mitchell spoke with media about her decision to seek advice from Los Angeles Lakers' point guard D'Angelo Russell about playing in a postseason atmosphere. Mitchell and Russell's friendship budded during their time as members of the Ohio State University basketball program where both of them excelled propelling them into first round selections in their respective draft years.

“I recently talked to my close friend D’Angelo Russell," Mitchell said. "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.”

Russell is no stranger to the pressure of the playoffs as he faced a lot of backlash from NBA correspondence and Lakers' fans after his struggles against the Denver Nuggets in two consecutive postseasons. As a member of the most popular franchise in the NBA, Russell understands the expectations that come with being in a major spotlight. Mitchell and Russell both play alongside massive superstars in their league which is something only few can understand.

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