Aliyah Boston’s Fever ‘MVP’ Claim Fuels Caitlin Clark-Kelsey Mitchell Comparison

Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston calling Kelsey Mitchell the "MVP" has fueled a stat comparison between Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.

Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark walk off the court during an Indiana Fever game. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Indiana Fever star center Aliyah Boston made an interesting statement when praising her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, at Thursday's practice.

“Honestly, [Mitchell is] really just the MVP. I think that’s just what she’s been doing. Every single night you see her come out, and she drops I don’t even know how many points at this rate. She defends her butt off... She does exactly what she needs to do, so I’m really proud of her," Boston said, per James Boyd.

#Fever star Aliyah Boston on Kelsey Mitchell:

“She’s really just the MVP. I think that’s just what she’s been doing. Every single night you see her come out and she drops I don’t even know how many points at this rate. She defends her butt off. … I’m really proud of her.” pic.twitter.com/eIpH5rql3t

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 13, 2026

These comments have gone viral over the past day, largely because many Caitlin Clark fans are taking exception to Boston labeling Mitchell the MVP.

Of course, Boston wasn't trying to stir up this debate or diminish what Clark is doing. She was just answering a simple question by praising her teammate.

But these comments and the strong reaction they have sparked make for an interesting comparison between Clark and Mitchell's respective 2026 seasons and pose the question of which deserves the Fever "MVP" moniker.

Caitlin Clark-Kelsey Mitchell 2026 Season Stat Comparison

Below are some of the most pertinent offensive stats regarding Clark and Mitchell's 2026 season.

Stat	Caitlin Clark	Kelsey Mitchell
Points per game	21.7	24.3
Assists per game	8.2	2.7
Field goal percentage	44.3%	50.9%
Three point percentage	36.1%	44.5%
Turnovers per game	4.8	1.8
Usage rate	32.6%	26.9%

As one can see, Mitchell has been the objectively better scorer. She's averaging more points per game while shooting at a more efficient clip.

However, Clark is clearly the superior playmaker, as shown by her much stronger assists per game. This isn't surprising, as Clark has the higher usage rate and usually has the ball in her hands more than Mitchell (which is why Clark has many more turnovers).

Determining a team's (and league's) Most Valuable Player is objective. Some might place more value on pure scoring output (which could point to Mitchell), while others might place more weight on overall production. In this case, the value Clark creates for her teammates (including Mitchell) through her assisting and playmaking abilities could outweigh Mitchell's superior scoring numbers.

Fever Offensive Rating Comparison

It's also interesting to see how the Fever as a team fare with Clark and Mitchell on and off the court this season.

Lineup situation	Fever offensive rating
Clark + Mitchell on the court	117.4
Mitchell on, Clark off	122.3
Clark on, Mitchell off	108.4
Both off the court	96.5

One can see that Indiana actually has the better offensive rating when just Mitchell is on the floor compared to when it's just Clark.

However, this should not serve as proof that the Fever are better with Mitchell on the floor as opposed to Clark (or that they are better than Clark off the floor), as the sample size is too small to determine that. Plus, the eye test makes it clear that this is not at all the case.

Ultimately, the fact that this is even a debate is great news for Fever fans. The team doesn't have to choose an MVP, after all, and having two of the league's best guards is a huge part of why the Fever's offense is tracking to be the best in WNBA history.

And Aliyah Boston would surely agree.