The Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings went band for band for 40 minutes and it came down to one play for the game to be decided. First Caitlin Clark missed a potential game-winning three and then Paige Bueckers handed another opportunity to the Fever by missing both her free throws on the other end. With 1.4 seconds remaining, Stephanie White drew up a play for Kelsey Mitchell. Unfortunately, Mitchell missed the catch-and-shoot as the Fever lost the heartbreaker 107-104. But that play has left this Fever analyst ‘perplexed,’ questioning the thought process that went behind it.  

“I was very perplexed by this play.” Rachel  DeMita said on the ‘Courtside Club’. “They had Sophie Cunningham taking out the ball, which was the first thing I didn’t understand because she’s a great shooter. Maybe she should have been in the play because there wasn’t enough time for her to take the ball out of bounds and then get it back for a shot.”

Cunningham had hit only one three on the day but she was 3-6 in that preseason game against Liberty. She is also coming off a career-best 3-point shooting season at 43.2%. Being a genuine threat would have given the Dallas defense more problems to think about. 

With Aliyah Boston being the least threatening perimeter shooter in the lineup, Indiana could have used her as the inbounder instead. Instead, Boston was positioned for a screen to give space to the shooter. Clark ran to the wing, dragging three defenders and the ball fell to Mitchell, who missed the shot from 31 feet away. 

“Kelsey Mitchell ended up getting the inbound and having to shoot a logo three. She is a great shooter. She played great tonight and had 30 points, but she’s not a logo three-point shooter,” DeMita said.

And she is right. Mitchell did not shoot a three from beyond 30 feet last year. Her preferable range is 20-24 where she shot 204 shots at 42%. Over her career, Mitchell is 4/25 in shots beyond 30 feet. If the plan was to get Mitchell closer to the basket than she did, then it was an execution issue rather than the strategy. “I think we got some really good looks. We practice situations all the time. There are time-and-score situations,” Stephanie White said regarding the final two plays and said the pace was “sluggish.”

Nevertheless, the game was not lost on that play alone. The Fever shot just 29% from the three-point line and conceded 25 fastbreak points. The chemistry is still not there yet with multiple unnecessary turnovers. The ending may have sparked frustration, but Indiana also walked away with a few reasons for optimism.

Kelsey Mitchell Has One Clear Expectation From Mikayla Timpson After Caree-High Game

There were a lot of positives for the Fever from this game despite the loss. Kelsey Mitchell came out swinging with 30 points, Clark had her moments, adding 20 points and 7 assists. Aliyah Boston continued her form with 23 points and 4 rebounds. But the surprise was Makayla Timpson, who scored a career-high 11 points from the bench while adding 2 rebounds and an assist. Yet, Mitchell has one clear message for Timpson.

“Seeing KK get in the swing of things is really good for us. Athletic, big, long, dynamic on both ends of the floor, and she’s young,” Mitchell said. “You don’t want to make her feel like she has to think a lot. You just want her to keep playing. I think she’s the perfect post for us to keep blending in with because her athleticism, pace, and length are really big for us. We want her to know that, and we want her to keep being herself.”

Timpson did not get much time on the floor last year, averaging just 7.1 minutes per game. This year, they are expecting more from her in their guard-heavy rotation, as Natasha Howard is not there anymore. If Timpson prospers, it will give Fever a better rim defense. On the offense they could collapse defenses better, giving Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham better looks from downtown.