WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christie Sides was holding her breath when she saw the Indiana Fever's leading scorer on the ground under the basket.

Kelsey Mitchell, who averages 19.6 points per game, got tangled with a defender in the first quarter in Thursday's regular-season finale. She was slow to get up off the ground as play moved down to the other end of the court, and when she did get up, she was limping.

Mitchell still managed to play, shaking out her left leg when she had a chance, for about a minute longer until a dead ball was called. Erica Wheeler subbed in, and Mitchell immediately went back to the locker room halfway through the first quarter. She returned to the bench at the beginning of the second quarter, wearing a knee brace for a short time before shedding it at the end of the bench.

More: WNBA team owner slams Caitlin Clark fans as 'being racist, sexist and violent' with words

WNBA playoffs 2024: Fever, Caitlin Clark vs Connecticut matchup in first round

Mitchell didn't get back in the game, but it was precautionary; the Fever had locked in the No. 6 seed no matter the result of Thursday night's game vs. the Mystics, so Sides didn't want to take any more chances.

"Kelsey is good," the Fever coach said. "Once she went down... I just made the decision right then she was just going to get ready for Sunday."

The Fever open their best-of-three series against Connecticut on the road at 3 p.m., Sunday.

Mitchell has already suffered an injury to her left ankle ahead of the season, and that kept her out of training camp. This time around, Mitchell said it was generally on her left side — something she said she just needed to stretch out.

"I think it was just more like throughout the course of my left side," Mitchell told IndyStar. "But I don't think anything major. I just think we have to be precautionary. Nothing major."

Throughout the rest of the game, Mitchell jumped up and down with the bench after big shots and jogged out to meet her teammates during timeouts.

She ended up playing just four minutes in the 92-91 loss, making both of her baskets for four points. Even without an injury, Sides wasn't planning to play her starters too much, anyway. Lexie Hull was the longest starter on the floor, and she played just over 21 minutes.

"I was being precautionary, staying in the right mindset about the focus of the group, and what's needed," Mitchell told IndyStar postgame. "That was decisions made by our personnel, and it was cool to support my team."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kelsey Mitchell says injury scare vs Washington was 'nothing major'