Down by 12 heading into the fourth, 17 turnovers, and Indiana still nearly pulled off a miracle against Dallas. Who did it all come down to? Kelsey Mitchell. Unfortunately, she missed the potential game-winner with 33 seconds left. But did the fans erupt in outrage? Not even close. Maybe because everyone knows Mitchell has already done more than enough. Maybe because, even without Caitlin Clark, just staying in the playoff bubble shows exactly how much she’s carried this team in recent weeks.

The Indiana Fever have now played their past 11 games without star guard Caitlin Clark. Surprisingly, the team started off quite well during this stretch, winning five straight games at one point. Since then, they’ve dropped three of their last four, but have still managed a 10-9 record this season without Clark and 18-14 overall with eight games to play. And one name that has consistently stood out in Clark’s absence is Mitchell.

WNBA legend Candace Parker couldn’t help but gush about Kelsey Mitchell on the August 13 episode of her podcast Post Moves with Fever center Aliyah Boston. “Let’s talk about Kelsey Mitchell in the same conversation with the letters MVP,” Parker said. “And I say that because one of our greats in our league, Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever legend, said ‘Gonna need y’all to say her name when talking about MVP.’ Dawn Staley, your college coach (South Carolina HC), also called out Kelsey as an MVP contender.”

That means it’s not just 1-2 people noticing. Earlier this week on CBS Sports WNBA, Dawn Staley and Renee Montgomery broke down Indiana’s Sky win. Montgomery pointed out that she scored or assisted on 25 of Indiana’s 48 points against Chicago as Mitchell dropped 26 points in that 92-70 win. Staley backed her up, “Did she make your MVP list yet?” she asked, clearly impressed with what the Ohio State alum has been doing. She’s praised Mitchell before, saying, “Kelsey Mitchell is doing it all like the MVP candidate.”

And the numbers back it up. Over the past week, she’s been on fire with 12 points, four assists, and a steal in Phoenix; 34 points and six assists in LA; nine points, five assists, and two steals in Seattle; 23 points in Dallas; and 24 points and six rebounds in the most recent loss. This season, she’s averaging 20 points per game and leads the league with 637 total points. She’s tied for second-most 20-point games at 17 and has nailed 29 three-pointers since the All-Star break. But Mitchell isn’t just scoring. 

Aliyah Boston noted, “What’s also standing out too is Kelsey’s assist numbers…she had a career-high in assists the other night against Chicago. She’s passing the ball because all the teams are like, ‘Okay, we got to get the ball out of her hands,’ and she’s finding everyone.” With no healthy point guard, Mitchell has taken on distribution duties too, recording a career-high eight assists against Chicago. Last year, she averaged 1.8 per game; this year, it’s 3.2. This shows incredible growth.

Still, she’s not quite in the MVP conversation – Collier, Wilson, and Thomas are leading that race – but Parker called her a “quiet assassin.” Nine seasons in, Mitchell’s reliability is finally getting the recognition it deserves. And Parker didn’t hold back her warning to the rest of the league: “When Caitlin gets back, it’s going to be scary from a backcourt standpoint.”

With Clark and Mitchell together – ball in hand, off it, or in the post – just watching them will make everyone’s eyes light up. Combined with smart screens and early drags in transition, the team’s potential will become limitless. But as thrilling as all of this sounds, one question remains: when will Clark return?

Indiana Fever addsa  new guard as Caitlin Clark continues rehab

The Indiana Fever continue to navigate a challenging stretch without star guard Caitlin Clark, who hasn’t played since reinjuring her groin in a July 15 win over the Connecticut Sun. Head coach Stephanie White shared that Clark is making progress behind the scenes but is still not ready for full practice or game action.

“She’s been able to get a little more in her full-court running with all of her body weight,” White explained. “It’s really building up from doing minimal to then building some endurance to do longer periods of time. She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not practice yet.”

Given Clark’s history of quad and groin injuries this season, the Fever are taking a cautious approach. Compounding the challenge, Indiana also lost Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald to season-ending injuries, leaving the team thin at the point guard position.  To help address the depth issue, the Fever announced on Thursday that they have signed Kyra Lambert to a seven-day contract. This move comes shortly after Odyssey Sims was added on a hardship contract to bolster the backcourt.

Lambert, a 5-foot-9 point guard, has built her professional career overseas, playing in Greece, France, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Turkey. While Lambert brings proven international experience, she has yet to make her WNBA debut despite five seasons at Duke and time at Texas.  The seven-day contract offers her an opportunity to showcase her skills on the league’s biggest stage, while giving the Fever some immediate support in a season defined by injuries and roster challenges.

Meanwhile, Fever fans continue to hope for Caitlin Clark’s speedy and healthy recovery. Because that will likely determine how far this Fever team can go in the final stretch of the season and postseason (if they make it).