Kelsey Mitchell is having the best season of her career so far, averaging 24.2 points per game, and Toronto Tempo guard Brittney Sykes is keenly aware of how dangerous Mitchell can be. As the Indiana Fever take on the Tempo on Tuesday at the Scotiabank Arena, Sykes expressed how hard it is to guard Mitchell when asked about Mitchell’s development ahead of their matchup.
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“When you’re going into play and guard her, you have to make a choice that you’re going to want to guard. Because the moment that you relax, the moment that you think that you’re going to get off on half-playing, half-a** defense. She burns you. Back cut, or a three, or she does her dribble, drag. Listen, I love K- Mitch. It’s amazing watching her, and I’m happy for her man, like she deserves All-WNBA. If you ask me, she certainly should be on that list for All-WNBA. That’s my dog.”
Sykes went on to trace Kelsey Mitchell‘s path to the WNBA in the pre-game press conference, posted to X by Savanna Hamilton.
“People always ask me, who’s one of the hardest guards to guard? I promise you, it’s second nature. I’m like Kelsey Mitchell, and it’s a mutual respect for each other. Seeing her just throughout college. And then just getting to the pros and just how she’s developed and sustained her credibility. And like a pure scorer, she has the speed of a lightning bolt.”
Mitchell and Brittney Sykes have a long history of playing against each other. Both entered the league around the same time, with Sykes being drafted in 2017 by the Atlanta Dream and Mitchell by the Indiana Fever in 2018. Mitchell has faced Sykes 22 times over her career, averaging 16.3 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 rebounds, according to Statmuse.
The last time the two faced each other was on June 16, when the Tempo fell 113-91 to the Fever in their first matchup this season. Mitchell recorded a monstrous 27 points, the most in the game, while Sykes made 11. This season, the Tempo are 13th in the league standings, with a record of 10-23.
In contrast, with a 23-12 record, the Fever look poised to qualify for the playoffs as they take on the Tempo next. The trio of Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, and Aliyah Boston leads the Fever’s charge towards a deep postseason run.
Mitchell has emerged as the Fever’s offensive engine, leading the team in scoring despite the presence of prolific scorers like Caitlin Clark. Mitchell is only behind reigning MVP A’ja Wilson in the league in scoring.
When Clark has missed game time this season due to injuries, Mitchell has taken on the offensive mantle, and her output has only increased when Clark has been sidelined. Back in July this season, when Clark missed games due to injury, Mitchell averaged 28.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals, while converting 52.9% of her field goals and 56.4% of her shots from beyond the arc, as per Underdog WNBA.
While Indiana has sorted out their offense, they need to fix their defensive vulnerabilities for a deep run in the playoffs.
Despite Kelsey Mitchell, Fever Must Address Defensive Gaps
The Fever are the league’s best scoring team, averaging 96.2 points per game, per ESPN. However, they also concede freely as well. The Fever are fourth on the list of teams that concede the most points on average, with 90.3.
They often struggle with perimeter containment, leading to easy paint conversion for their opponents. As the offensive engine, Clark is frequently targeted by opposing offenses, forcing her into isolation and foul trouble. She has already amassed seven technical fouls, tied for most in the league.
The Fever struggle to box out consistently, giving up costly second-chance points to physical, high-motor frontcourts. Beyond Aliyah Boston, the Fever lack a secondary, high-impact shot-blocker to deter opponents who penetrate the paint. Fast-paced lineups often force smaller Fever guards to switch onto opposing forwards down low, resulting in easy post-ups.
Because the Fever play at one of the fastest paces in the league, their high turnover rate, currently at 13.9 turnovers per game, frequently catches them out of position.
Coach Stephanie White will need to sort these issues out if Indiana hopes to make it to the WNBA Finals. With nine games remaining in the regular season and the Fever in fourth in the standings, they must fix their point-conceding issue if they intend to reach the finals for the first time since 2015.