Last week, former South Carolina guard Tiffany Mitchell achieved her WNBA dreams, being drafted by the Indiana Fever with the ninth overall pick.
Mitchell is the highest draft selection from South Carolina since Jocelyn Penn was selected ninth overall in the 2003 WNBA Draft and the first player selected in the first-round since Dawn Staley took over in 2008. Penn lasted just two seasons in the league, while Aleighsa Welch, who was a second-round pick by the Chicago Sky in 2015, was released before the season started.
Mitchell certainly shoulders quite a bit of pressure entering the WNBA, but Indiana head coach Stephanie White is confident that Mitchell’s experience under Staley will help at the next level.
“She’s been challenged and been coached by one of the greats in Dawn Staley, and we just feel like, with her values, her toughness, her tenacity, she really fits what our franchise is about,” White said.
Historically, Indiana is known for its toughness and gritty style of play, comparable to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. But, last season, the Fever’s defense and rebounding fell to mediocre at best. They ranked sixth in points allowed per game with 75.8, eighth in rebounding with 32.4 per game and next to last in assists with 14.9 per game.
Mitchell should help in all of these categories, most importantly on the defensive end and with three-point shooting. Last season, only Shenise Johnson and Briann January shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc among players who attempted 50 or more threes, but combined for just 56 made threes on 133 attempts. Mitchell, on the other hand, made 61 threes in her senior year at South Carolina and shot nearly 40 percent for her career.
At 5-foot-9, Mitchell is also a sneaky good rebounder averaging 4.1 rebounds per game in four years at South Carolina, in addition to 1.7 steals per game.
“Anytime that you have a defensive mentality, anytime that you compete the way that she competes, you have an opportunity to contribute. She’s never going to hurt you on the defensive end of the floor, and that’s exactly what you want,” White said.
Although Mitchell will likely come off the bench her rookie season, she will almost certainly have the opportunity to make a major impact on this team, perhaps even pushing Indiana over the championship hump. She’ll have the chance to learn from a WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, who’s expected to retire after the 2016 season, and potentially blossom into a regular starter next year.
Any boost from Mitchell off the bench should equal more wins, however, as Indiana’s core players from 2015 are returning this season.