Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell scored 16 points in the first quarter and finished with 29 points in Tuesday night’s 101-95 victory over the Toronto Tempo. Mitchell left the game in the fourth quarter after experiencing overheating, according to Fever head coach Stephanie White.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark added 24 points for Indiana, which secured its fifth straight win. The duo of Clark and Mitchell became the first in WNBA history to score at least 20 points each in the same game 16 times, surpassing the previous record held by Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter in 2008.
Mitchell’s night also marked her 20th consecutive game with at least 20 points, tying the league record held by A’ja Wilson. After scoring eight points in less than a minute late in the third quarter, Mitchell headed to the locker room and did not return.
Aliyah Boston scored 16 points, and Sophie Cunningham made all three of her 3-point attempts, finishing with 13 points. The Fever led throughout the game, never trailing, and have now won 10 of their past 12 games. Toronto has dropped 11 straight.
Late in the final quarter, Marina Mabrey hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the gap to 97-93, but Toronto could not close the deficit.
The game was notable for its mixed reactions from fans, including cheers and boos during Cunningham’s appearance and when a banner supporting transgender rights was shown on the video screen. Cunningham, who publicly opposed transgender girls competing in girls’ and women’s sports, spoke about her views in a recent ESPN profile.
The Fever will travel to Dallas for a game against the Wings on Thursday, while Toronto visits Washington on Wednesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
