Kelsey Mitchell scores 29 as Fever win fifth straight
Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points before sitting out the fourth quarter as the Indiana Fever beat the Toronto Tempo 101-95 for their fifth straight win Tuesday. The WNBA scores also featured Caitlin Clark's 24 points, and the duo set a league record with their 16th same-game 20-point outing this season.
Key Takeaways
- Mitchell finished with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting before exiting with overheating, per coach Stephanie White.
- Clark added 24 points as Indiana never trailed and won its fifth game in a row on the road in Toronto.
- Mitchell and Clark have each scored 20-plus in the same game 16 times this season, a WNBA record.
- Mitchell matched A'ja Wilson's league mark of 20 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
- The Fever's 101 points marked their 16th 100-point game this season, a WNBA single-season high.
What happened in the Fever's win over Toronto?
Playing at steamy Scotiabank Arena, Mitchell poured in 16 points in the first quarter and closed with 29 before heading to the locker room late in the third. According to ESPN, she scored eight points in less than a minute late in the third, then did not return for the fourth.
White said all indications pointed to Mitchell being overheated after consecutive games in very hot environments. Mitchell is the WNBA's second-leading scorer at 24.2 points per game, behind Wilson's 26.1. She shot 4-of-6 from three and 3-of-3 at the free-throw line.
Clark contributed 24 points, three rebounds and seven assists in her first visit to Canada as a player. Aliyah Boston scored 16, and Sophie Cunningham added 13 on three made threes as Indiana improved to 24-12 and stayed hot in Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage of the league's biggest nights.
Why do these WNBA scores matter for Mitchell and Clark?
Beyond the box score, the duo's chemistry is rewriting history. Clark and Mitchell have each scored 20 or more in the same game 16 times this season, topping the previous mark of 15 set by Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter with Phoenix in 2008.
Mitchell also reached 20 points for the 20th straight game, matching Wilson for the longest such streak in WNBA history. White praised Mitchell's shot creation, saying her gravity opens looks for teammates and few players can manufacture shots the way she does.
Indiana is 12-3 since July 9, the third-best mark in that span behind the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries, and has won 10 of its last 12. The Fever never trailed against Toronto.
How did Toronto respond without Mitchell in the fourth?
Marina Mabrey led the Tempo with 22 points and cut the deficit to 97-93 with consecutive threes late in the fourth, but Toronto got no closer. Brittney Sykes scored 15 in her return from a left plantar fascia injury after missing more than two months since a June 16 loss at Indiana.
The Tempo fell to an 11-game losing streak, tying the Seattle Storm for the longest skid in the WNBA this season. Aneesah Morrow had 15 points and 16 rebounds off the bench, while Temi Fagbenle scored 13 and Kiki Rice added 10.
Indiana next continues its five-game trip at Dallas on Thursday, then visits New York on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.