INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell showed no signs of slowing down in the team’s season opener against the Dallas Wings, a game in which star Caitlin Clark said at times “no one could breathe” because of the pace.
The Wings defeated Indiana 107-104 on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But the Fever locker room was “positive” after the game, Clark said. Mitchell’s performance was one of the main reasons why.
The nine-year veteran scored 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Although she missed the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, it was Mitchell’s efforts that placed the Fever in a position to send the contest to overtime.
Mitchell made a crucial and-1 to cut the deficit to 101-97 with 2:52 remaining. With 28 seconds left, the former Ohio State star hit an uncontested layup off a Myisha Hines-Allen miss. She assisted Makayla Timpson’s shot 14 seconds later to bring the Fever within two points. An Odyssey Sims free throw extended the Dallas lead to three with 13.2 seconds remaining.
”I feel like I’m 30, that’s how I feel,” Mitchell said with a laugh when asked about her performance.
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Coach Stephanie White praised Mitchell for impacting other areas of the game beyond scoring. White asked her guards to get three rebounds before the contest. Mitchell secured three offensive rebounds, one shy of her career high.
“She’s special, and she’s fast. Nobody can stay in front of her,” White said. “I’m pleased with not just the 30 points, but the four assists and three rebounds. She’s gonna find her spots and work in her, (Aliyah Boston) and Clark together. It’s gonna be a journey as we get them back on the floor together.”
Mitchell developed rhabdomyolysis during Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces in September. She needed help off the court after her muscles broke down. The Fever are conscious of how much Mitchell plays this season. White admitted Saturday that Clark and Mitchell played too long for stretches during the second half.
The relentless Mitchell knows Clark and Boston need her healthy as they chase a championship. The trio combined for 73 of the Fever’s 104 points. Boston scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Clark had 20 points and shot 7 of 18 from the field.
White said the three were “missing opportunities to get some touches and to get a little bit more flow.” Clark acknowledged that Boston and Mitchell can do better at “talking a little earlier” on the court. Mitchell said they are “constantly building (our) chemistry,” and added they “piggyback off each other in a lot of different ways.”
“In practice, we’ve definitely been working at getting chemistry and timing back as quickly as possible, but I think the good thing about us is, yes, we haven’t played all together in a while, but we know each other’s tendencies,” Boston said. “And I feel like when you know that, it’s easier to read on the floor. And so obviously now it’s just gonna be about reading the defense, but we’re gonna take it game by game, possession by possession.”
Clark, Boston and Mitchell last played together on July 15, when Clark suffered a season-ending groin injury against the Connecticut Sun. It’ll take time for the Fever stars to settle after playing only 13 games together last season due to Clark’s injuries. But Mitchell is hopeful as she looks ahead to the next 43 games and a possible deep playoff run.
“I’m excited about where our group is going. Like I told CC, as long as we’re gonna do this, I’m rocking and rolling. We’re gonna keep getting better. I think the chemistry is there. The atmosphere and fans — they keep us in the game, especially when it’s bad. We got a lot of good things going. You lose, you take it on your chin, respect your opponents, but you come back more powerful.”
Joshua Heron is an enterprise and Fever reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @HeronReports. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kelsey Mitchell leads Fever with 30 points as stars show ‘chemistry is there’ in loss to Wings
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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