Kelsey Mitchell is having one of her best seasons yet. What's her secret? Football workouts CHICAGO --  Kelsey Mitchell made another sho...

Kelsey Mitchell is having one of her best seasons yet. What's her secret? Football workouts

CHICAGO --  Kelsey Mitchell made another show, scoring 35 points, six assists and three steals in addition to a few rebounds in the Indiana Fever, 93-78 win against the Chicago Sky.

 The veteran guard, shot hunting without hesitation with the effectiveness that she lacked Thursday against the Las Vegas (12-for-19, 7-for-10 from the field), engineered a 15-point third-quarter run that included the initial 10 and steadied the visitors after Chicago cut it to just a point midway through the quarter.

 According to Mitchell, who had 35 points, the fifth time in franchise history, it was, "what I was led to believe or what people gave me and I just played inside the game, inside the schemes of the game, whatever my coaches were looking for and whatever my teammates were looking for," he said. 

 It was nothing more than me being myself.  Then one would wish that the preparation may enable me to make some shots and do some things so that I could carry on with that streak."

 It is quite remarkable that despite a decent portion of vitriol directed toward her by the other side, Mitchell managed to do all of this.  Mitchells Sunday effort was not only prolific, but also, to use a phrase, so often employed in these pages, black-and-blue, so often employed in these pages, black-and-blue, that is, gutsy.

 The greatest incident was when there was about 2:40 in the first half.  When Mitchell received a pass near the baseline she became entangled with a Chicago defender during the attempt to make the shot. 

 Mitchell fell screaming on the hardboard and immediately tried to pound her groin.  She was the last one to get up and was unable to work her way back to defence, leaning over the Fever bench and waving to come in as a replacement player.

 That is part and parcel of playing a game that you have to undercut 6-7, 6-8 players.  Perhaps to make other choices in the future, Mitchell said joking. 

 I am however a competitor, she added.  You (lets everything) go off your shoulders when it comes to wanting to play.  It was a simple hitch, however I do not feel that it will stop my progressing.

 The coach Stephanie White accepted it to have been a contact injury, although at this moment there is no concern over the condition of Mitchell, but there were at that time.

 Obviously, it relates to keeping shooters in the air in control and ensuring that their movement is free, said White.  Family members are worried about her recovery, but at least not to levels that would require an acute condition of which I am aware of, but we have not really had the discussion.

 Despite whether she was battered and bruised with the bumps, Mitchell continued to be unharmed and she used Sunday game to display why she is so lethal - and one area of her game that she honed this offseason: her footwork.

 On Friday Mitchell stated that she is footwork, speed, and agility type.  And, being able to work with a trainer who is himself a leading football coach, the two fixed a pre-season exercise regime with even football drills that resembled basketball.

 That is what I did, go and watch a football workout, she boasted.

 The WNBA All-Star spent several days a week as a defensive back together with football players. 

 They were throwing football.  She was grabbing the basketballs, working on her footwork to get to her space, gaining an understanding of attacking angles, and working on moving side-to-side (changing feet and speed).  These skills are just as important to use on the defensive backfield as it is on the court.

 I was a lousy sucker.  Mitchell says, "I was terrible."  However, it was more about the footwork, see the angles that I needed since I think it transfers to basketball.

 Such individual method has proven to be successful in statistical terms by Mitchell.

 She is in her sixth season and this is the best career season with an averaged of 19.6 points per game (third best in the league), with a 46per cent rate of shooting and a rate of 36.2per cent shot in three pointers.

 Her 35-point outing (three): One point short of her personal-best on Sunday, a fourth in a row where she has scored in the 20s (15th of this season). 

 With Kelsey it is putting her in place where we can utilize her instincts and do what she is best at and that is what we are doing," White told me.  She has been terrific and we would like to continue to put her on those situations.