Kelsey Mitchell Erupts for Career-High-Tying 38 Points in Indiana Fever’s Stunning 21-Point Rally vs. Sun

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is turning a red-hot August into a potential MVP audition. 48 hours after tying her career high with 38 points in a 21-point comeback over the Connecticut Sun, the eighth-year pro poured in 36 more against Chicago, lifting a shorthanded Fever roster still missing rookie sensation Caitlin Clark (ankle) and All-Star forward NaLyssa Smith (foot). Mitchell’s surge has moved Indiana back into the WNBA play-in picture and vaulted the former No. 2 overall pick into every advanced-metric leaderboard. Mitchell is averaging 27.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds since the All-Star break, the best scoring clip in the league during that span. Her efficiency has been equally eye-catching: 49.2 percent from the field, 44.6 percent from three and 91.1 percent at the stripe on nearly seven free-throw attempts per game. According to Second Spectrum tracking, she ranks first in usage rate among active guards yet remains top-five in true-shooting percentage—an unprecedented blend of volume and precision for a player listed at 5-8. Indiana’s offense now runs almost entirely through the Ohio State product’s lightning-quick first step and signature left-to-right pull-up. Head coach Stephanie White has responded by giving Mitchell “green-light” autonomy out of high pick-and-roll, a tweak that produced 17 fourth-quarter points in the upset of Connecticut and broke open what had been a two-possession game versus Chicago. Beyond the box score, Mitchell’s leadership has steadied a locker room rocked by injuries. “She’s vocal, she’s patient with the rookies, and she’s fearless in crunch time,” White said post-game. Rookie post Aliyah Boston added, “She shows us exactly how to compete when we’re down bodies.” The Fever’s closing schedule features a daunting West Coast swing—Seattle, Las Vegas and Phoenix in four days—but Mitchell’s late-season heater has sportsbooks trimming Indiana’s championship odds from 80-1 to 35-1. If the Fever can steal two on the road, voters may find it difficult to ignore a guard who ranks second in the league in win shares while carrying its 11th-youngest roster. Mitchell already cashed in on her regular-season heroics, signing a super-max extension worth $249,244 per year that keeps her in Indianapolis through 2028. But the 29-year-old says the honors she covets most come in June: “I’ve never been to the WNBA Finals. That’s the trophy I’m chasing,” she told reporters after Sunday’s shoot-around. The chase resumes Tuesday night in Seattle. With Clark’s return timetable still murky and playoff positioning tightening by the day, Mitchell’s next act could define not only Indiana’s season but the entire 2025 MVP race.