Indiana Fever On SI

Kelsey Mitchell's Career-High Performance Leaves Fever Coach 'Speechless'

Kelsey Mitchell's career-high 38-point outing willed the Fever to a comeback victory, leaving even her coach and teammates stunned.
Lou Orlando|
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White reacts with guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White reacts with guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Trailing the Connecticut Sun by 19 points at halftime, the Indiana Fever seemed to be on course for a third consecutive defeat and their fifth loss in six games.

It was another slow start offensively for a shorthanded backcourt, already without Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson. The issue was only aggravated further when Sophie Cunningham went down with a gnarly right leg injury early in the second quarter, needing to be helped to the locker room.

The Fever scuffled into halftime, trailing 48-29 with 12 turnovers and an abysmal 0-for-10 line from distance. Even Indiana's leading scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, wasn't immune to the malaise, mustering 4 points on 0-for-7 shooting with a -15 plus-minus.

Connecticut's Marina Mabrey knocked home a basket to open the second half, extending the Sun lead to a game-high 21 points.

Careening towards yet another disappointing defeat, the Fever managed an improbable turnaround, fueled by a career-defining outing from Indiana's longest-tenured player.

Kelsey Mitchell Leaves Coach and Teammates Stunned After Emphatic Comeback Win

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell drives through two defenders
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives the ball against Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

After a nondescript first 20 minutes, Mitchell bounced back with a second half for the ages.

Her heroics included a game-tying three-point play, driving the lane and hitting the layup through contact before draining a free throw to even up the game at 82 with 44 seconds left, followed by a ballistic tear in overtime in which Mitchell scored 10 consecutive points for Indiana.

Between the second half and overtime, the eighth-year guard scored 34 points, knocking in 11 of her 15 field goals and 5-of-6 three pointers. All said and told, it was a career-high 38-point showing for Mitchell, the highest scoring outing by a Fever player in franchise history.

"Speechless, really," Indiana head coach Stephanie White said, reflecting on Mitchell's spectacular performance in a 99-93 win over the Sun. "Just put us on her back, made big shot after big shot, big play after big play. She willed us."

Ironically enough, the "speechless" White articulated Mitchell's efforts beautifully. She did indeed will the Fever to victory.

Indiana tallied 70 points after halftime -- Mitchell's scoring accounted for 34. Tack on another 6 points via assist, and Mitchell was directly involved in over half of the Fever's scoring in the second half and overtime.

White wasn't the only one who publicly shared her astonishment. No, Mitchell's teammates got in on the fun, too.

The injured Colson simply tweeted, "Kelsey Mitchell isn't real," while forward Natasha Howard praised the long-time guard as "1 of 1."

Cunningham, who did not return after her second-quarter injury, posted "KELSEY FREAKIN MITCHELL" in all caps, and Clark heralded Indiana's leading scorer as an MVP.

Taking Clark's endorsement for what it's worth, Mitchell can expect to get some MVP votes at season's end. It would be a long shot for any player to leap past two-way stars Napheesa Collier and A'ja Wilson in the MVP race, but Mitchell has nonetheless implanted herself in the conversation, ranking third in the WNBA with a career-best 20.4 PPG.

Mitchell has been integral to the Fever amidst Clark's injury woes, which have sidelined the All-WNBA point guard for 22 games and counting.

Cunningham's status remains a mystery, but if she's to miss any time as well, Indiana will need more heroics from Mitchell to keep up in a narrow playoff race.

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Lou Orlando
LOU ORLANDO

Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.

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