INDIANAPOLIS — Kelsey Mitchell isn’t one for attention and praise, but her teammates keep giving it to her. The only thing the Indiana Fever guard has to blame is her game.
\n"She's the best scorer in the league, hands down. It's not even close,” Caitlin Clark said Tuesday after the Fever’s 106-92 win over the New York Liberty.
\nAliyah Boston heaped more praise on the star guard Thursday at practice.
\n“Kelsey comes in here and she works every day,” Boston said. “She gets up extra shots. She comes in and does what she needs to do. Honestly, she's the MVP.
\n“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, and then we come out here and we play. She does exactly what she needs to do. I'm really proud of her.”
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\nMitchell is having a historic season. The nine-year veteran is averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game, second most in the league behind Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson.
\nMitchell had 24 20-point games last season. She eclipsed her franchise record after scoring 28 in Tuesday's win. The former Ohio State standout extended her single-season record to 17 straight games with 20 or more points. Mitchell has scored in double figures in 48 straight games, the 10th-longest streak in league history.
\n“I (became) aware of the streaks and the numbers a little bit on TV the other day, so this is new for me,” Mitchell said. “But try to keep the main thing the main thing. … You show up and play, you try to do the right thing and you just let it flow.”
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\nThe Fever’s offense is feeding off Mitchell’s ability to get a bucket at will. The Fever have scored 100 or more points 12 times this season, the most in a single season in WNBA history. Indiana averages a league-high 96.2 points per game. Clark leads the league in assists with 8.2 per game. The three-time All-Star called it “fun” to share the backcourt with Mitchell and said a pass to the 30-year-old is an “automatic assist.”
\n“Our ability to see the next person be great is like floating in our locker room in a lot of positive ways,” Mitchell said. “Our chemistry and our ability to want to win is real. I don't think that's fake. That's why we have success.”
\nBoston said the team has had “great improvement” on the defensive end. The Fever have allowed 100 or more points in 10 games this season, but have only done so once in the last eight games. Boston said the Fever have been aggressive and active as they force teams into taking “tough shots.” Mitchell has been a contributor to their improvement. Mitchell is averaging 1.1 steals per game, her most in a season since 2021.
\n“What I did learn over the course of my years is that defense can fuel a lot of your offensive wants,” Mitchell said. “So, I started to take into account if I get one more deflection, if I get one more steal, you get a chance to go be you on the offensive side of things.”
\nMitchell’s 5-foot-8 height doesn’t provide her much length, but she acknowledged her conditioning and fitness as her “separator.” So is her mindset. Mitchell said she takes “pride” in how she gets to her spots on the floor and credited her success this season to being confident in her ability to create her own shot.
\nMitchell said she keeps “trying to find ways” to move on after a bad play. But those are rare. And yet, the shifty guard believes there’s another “gear” to reach.
\n“That's where my standard is,” Mitchell said. “There's so much more film to watch and so much more work to put in.”
\nJoshua 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.
\nThis article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever teammate calls Kelsey Mitchell MVP. Her stats make a strong case