"I suffered from something called Rhabdomyolysis last night," Mitchell shared on social media
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell recalled panicking on the court after losing feeling in her legs during the WNBA playoffs.
Mitchell, 29, recounted the scary moment she collapsed in a referee's arms during the Fever's hard-fought loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 30 in a lengthy message on social media.
"Me letting you all know about my health is just me showing love and respect to those who showed it to me," Mitchell began in her address to fans on Wednesday, Oct. 1. "I suffered from something called Rhabdomyolysis last night," she revealed, explaining that her muscles "stopped producing" after reaching "maximum capacity."
"I went into a sense of numbness/paralyzing feeling with no movement from my lower extremities for up to 5 to 7 seconds," Mitchell shared.
Rhabdomyolysis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when muscles break down and die from excessive use, according to the Mayo Clinic. Toxic muscle fibers can then move to the kidneys, causing kidney damage.
Mitchell, surrounded by her teammates for several minutes as medical staff assisted her after the fall, said she "panicked" and started thinking the worst after realizing, "I couldn't move my legs."
"Because my muscles stopped producing positive blood to my bloodstream, my body locked up from a physical standpoint and from there fatigue and cramping settled in," she explained.
"It sucked," Mitchell wrote of the "out of body experience," and said, "I thank God for covering me at a time like that."
Fortunately, Mitchell said she "will be fine very soon" and is receiving the proper medical treatment she needs. "So today on Oct. 1, I am walking and moving at a slow place," she shared, thanking the Fever and Aces' medical teams as well as hospital staff.
"In other words, I played literally til my wheels fell off," she joked.
Concluding her message, Mitchell said, "THANK you for the prayers, love, respect, and support throughout all of this. If you rode with me through this journey, then I love you!"
Fans and fellow WNBA players offered messages of support to Mitchell in the replies. Sparks star Dearica Hamby wrote, "Warrior sis," and a fan told Mitchell, "You are a role model, not only for hoopers. Your poise, your humility, your drive, your passion, are things to cherish. Proud to be a fan of the Fever, but above all to be a fan of Kelz. All our love."
The Fever were eliminated from the playoffs with their loss on Tuesday. The Aces will play the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals, tipping off Oct. 2.