WNBA star Kelsey Mitchell admitted recently that she had reached out to Lakers star D'Angelo Russell . Mitchell, who called Russell a good friend, claimed that the former All-Star gave her valuable advice ahead of the WNBA playoffs, where she and the Indiana Fever would try and unseat the Connecticut Sun.
“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.”
However, that advice did not resonate in Mitchell's play on the court. As the Sun swept the Fever in two games, Mitchell had a really poor performance in the first round. During the two games, she averaged just 19.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
While these numbers might appear all right, taking a look at her shot percentages tells an entirely different story. On the offensive end, she shot really poorly, going 16-38 from the field, just 42.1% from the field, and going 5-19 from the three-point line, a measly 26.3%.
On top of that, she turned the ball over 9 times in the two games, which was more than the rebounds and assists she provided. Mitchell had no contribution in the defensive stats such as blocks or steals, further showing how poorly she played.
What is ironic about this situation is that after speaking to D'Angelo Russell, Mitchell put up numbers similar to what D-Lo has historically put up in the playoffs. While it is important to note that the Fever were the sixth seed in the league, Mitchell performed very poorly under the bright lights of the WNBA playoffs.
Lakers Hoping D'Angelo Russell Turns Things Around
D'Angelo Russell opted into his player option with the Lakers and is now entering the final year of his contract with the team. Russell was expected to test the market, but many speculate that he didn't get a good enough offer from another NBA team, which caused him to opt into his option year.
Russell has struggled on the Lakers, despite having brief stints of form with them. The problem with D-Lo usually comes in the playoffs, as he is historically a poor playoff performer, and under-delivers when the lights are on bright.
JJ Redick addressed Russell's role on the team next season , noting that he spoke to him the most out of any other player during the offseason. He wants to help Russell find a place on the team and praised the mentality and leadership Russell has shown so far during initial offseason training.
Last season D'Angelo Russell averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. While these numbers appear good, the truth is that D-Lo struggles to be consistent, and he must change that if he wants to remain with the Lakers, or in the NBA as a whole next season.
This is a make-or-break season for D'Angelo Russell, and he will have to put on great performances consistently next season in order to earn a spot on any team in the NBA come 2025.
Related: JJ Redick Confirms Lakers' Starting Lineup For 2024-25 NBA Season
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