How Fever's Kelsey Mitchell won the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell knows that “the future is the future.”
So, she wants to invest in it.
She created the KelzHoop Foundation in her hometown of Cinncinati, Ohio. The foundation focuses on young athletes who have limited opportunities to play sports, hosting community events and basketball camps.
“I’m a city kid, and anybody who knows that and what it looks like where I came from means you got to find something that you’re passionate about and try to stay out of as much drama as possible,” Mitchell said. “I think me giving back to the kids in my community, me giving back to the people in our community, whether it be adults, elderly, we just try to do as much as we can.”
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The KelzHoop Foundation also helps families in need, as she partnered with Rosemary’s Babies, the Cincinnati Police Department, and Dick’s Sporting Goods to provide holiday gifts and shoes to the Cincinnati community.
Mitchell won the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award, given to the WNBA player who is a leader where they work and live, because of her work with the KelzHoop Foundation.
But Mitchell doesn’t look at it as an award.
“I looked at it like I want to do what somebody did for me when I was growing up,” Mitchell said. “I didn’t look at it as an award. But to be recognized for it just goes to show the growth of my organization and everything I’ve been trying to do. I’m a firm believer that the future is the future, so we’ve got to invest in it.”
Mitchell also earned an Athlete to Advocate certificate — a program that teaches players how to amplify and understand their philanthropic work — through Indiana University.
Mitchell has been a member of the Indiana Fever for five years, making her the most veteran player on the young team. As well as her leadership on the court, she participates in various community events throughout the state and country, including the Million Meal Marathon, Season of Giving Dinner, and the Kroger Shoes Day.
“The things Kelsey Mitchell does that we see because the social media’s there or someone’s there, that’s a given,” head coach Christie Sides said. “What we don’t see is the stuff she’s doing back at home with people in her community, at the local schools. She just gives back, and to me that just shows where her heart is and the person that she is. That also plays on the court, as well.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever: How Kelsey Mitchell won the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award
