Indiana Fever Teammates Send Christmas Wishes Together From Game in China
Christmas and the holiday season represent time together with family and away from work for most people. However, not everyone has the time off on the schedule, which goes for some notable WNBA players.
Amongst such players are Indiana Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and NaLyssa Smith, who are not home for the holidays. Both players are spending the offseason playing in China and their respective teams actually faced off on Christmas Day.
Mitchell has been a stand out for the Shanxi Flame overseas, while Smith has also had some noteworthy moments while a part of the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. The two squads matched up early in the morning United States time on Wednesday, with Mitchell's team getting the win 84-74.
But despite being opponents for the day, the pair posed together for a photo to wish supporters a Merry Christmas. Smith posted the photo to her Instagram story which was simply and appropriately captioned, "merry christmas from china.. 🎄🖤".
Kelsey and Lyss in China on Christmas Day! pic.twitter.com/dC0xKfErrV
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) December 25, 2024
Fever fans surely appreciated seeing the two in each other's company, though both have been the subject of conversation since the WNBA season ended.
Mitchell is a free agent and the Fever have made it clear she is the team's number one priority this offseason. While Smith and Indiana fans have developed an interesting dynamic on social media, with her future role on the team often coming into question in online discussions.
However, there's no reason to believe both won't be suiting up for new coach Stephanie White next season. So they should be wearing the same uniform again soon, despite their most recent photo together coming in different threads.
Let's all hope Mitchell and Smith had the same Merry Christmas they wished to fans, even if they spent it competing a long way from home.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!