On Tuesday, September 3, the Indiana Fever achieved a milestone that the organization has not reached since 2018. Thanks to the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream both suffering losses on Tuesday night, the Fever were able to book themselves a spot in the WNBA Playoffs for the first time in eight years.
Caitlin Clark has been the driving force for Indiana of late, with the rookie sensation earning Player of the Month honors for her scorching hot streak. In August, Clark has produced eye-popping averages of 24.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 8.5 assists, which has led to the Fever winning six out of their last seven games.
While Clark is delighted with the fact that she’s headed to the postseason in her debut campaign, the 22-year-old admitted that she’s even happier for teammate Kelsey Mitchell.
“I’m definitely most happy for Kels,” Clark told reporters ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, September 4 (h/t Debbie Antonelli of ESPN). “Kelsey’s been in the place for seven years and has never been to the playoffs. So she definitely deserves this moment. Obviously, she’s been playing really good basketball, too.”
As Clark indicated, she hasn’t been the be-all and end-all of Indiana’s recent surge. She’s gotten a lot of help along the way, with none more significant than that from Mitchell.
In her last five games, the two-time All-Star has averaged 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 triples per game. Mitchell, who’s played all seven years of her career with the Fever, has been on a tear as well, and there’s no denying that she’s also been a pivotal piece for Indiana in this recent run.
It also goes without saying that Mitchell will play an incredibly crucial role for the Fever come playoff time. Like Clark, she will be playing in the postseason for the first time in her career, so there’s probably going to be some jitters there — for both of them.
However, given the chemistry between Indiana’s backcourt duo, it would not be a complete shock if Clark and Mitchell are able to make a lot of noise come the playoffs.
