TORONTO — Kelsey Mitchell left the Indiana Fever’s bench and headed to the locker room in the fourth quarter of the win over the Toronto Tempo because she started overheating, Fever coach Stephanie White said.
Scotiabank Arena, which is not the Tempo’s typical home arena, was atypically warm on Tuesday night. It’s the second-straight game the Fever have played in a warmer-than-usual arena, as State Farm Arena in Atlanta (not the Dream’s typical home venue, either) was also unseasonably warm compared to the chilly Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — all three NBA arenas, too.
“It seems like she just got overheated,” White said. “I mean, this is two games in a row where we played in really, really hot environments, so all indications right now is that she was just overheated.”
The Fever star, who tied a WNBA record with her 20th straight games scoring 20 or more points, checked out of the game for the final time with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter. She went back to the locker room in the fourth quarter and did not return to the bench for the rest of the game. She finished with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting.
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The Tempo attempted a comeback, getting within four points of the Fever’s lead with a minute left in the game, but Indiana pulled out a 101-95 win without Mitchell playing at all in the fourth.
“Well, maybe if Canada had air conditioning, Holly, that would probably be helpful,” Fever guard Caitlin Clark told ESPN’s Holly Rowe following the game. “It’s a million degrees in here. But hopefully she’ll be OK, but we certainly miss her.”
Overheating is specifically concerning for Mitchell, considering her injury history. She suffered rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition caused by injury or excessive exercise without rest, in Game 5 of the Fever’s playoff series against Las Vegas last year. Rhabdomyolysis causes muscles to disintegrate, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which leads to toxic parts of the muscle entering the bloodstream. High-intensity exercise, overheating, and dehydration can all cause rhabdomyolysis.
But, White said, she doesn’t think it got to that point Tuesday night.
“Not that I’m aware of,” White said when asked if there was any concern of rhabdomyolysis. “But I’m not sure.”
From last year: Fever star Kelsey Mitchell details 'unbelievable experience' with rhabdomyolysis: 'My body locked'
Mitchell had to take a couple weeks to rest following her rhabdomyolysis diagnosis in October, as her muscles needed time to heal. It’s unknown if Mitchell will need to miss any time after overheating in Toronto.
The Fever play again on Thursday in Dallas, where Mitchell could have a chance to set a WNBA record streak of 21 straight games scoring at least 20 points.
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com. 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.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What happened to Kelsey Mitchell? Injury concerns thought to be avoided in Fever win vs Tempo