Simple praise for a teammate has led to a much larger debate, as Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston‘s comments about Kelsey Mitchell have caused NBA analyst Skip Bayless to speak out against her stance. Bayless has recently criticized Boston for her interview about Mitchell, which he felt snubbed her teammate and MVP candidate Caitlin Clark. Bayless addressed his thoughts in a video post on X on August 13.

“When Caitlin comes up, she won’t say a word. I know it’s controversial, and she is very adept at avoiding controversy, but she just said that Kelsey Mitchell is really just the MVP.”

“Maybe I’m overreacting, but today I saw Aliyah Boston say of her teammate Kelsey Mitchell, she’s really just the MVP…I ask you, exactly what good does it do for Aliyah Boston to say that publicly about Kelsey Mitchell when a lot of people out there think Caitlin Clark is making a bid for MVP?”

Mitchell is part of the Fever’s big three, alongside Boston and Clark. Mitchell leads the Fever in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game. Bayless also commends her playmaking abilities despite her slightly shorter stature. Mitchell and Clark are both strong contenders for the MVP award this season.

Bayless’ admission in his post on X came after Aliyah Boston gave her remarks about Kelsey Mitchell in a press availability during a practice session before the Fever take on the Dallas Wings. The veteran sportscaster went on to speak about how he feels that Boston has been avoiding talking about Clark’s bid for MVP.

All of Bayless’ speculation comes from a post shared by The Athletic’s James Boyd on X, which shows Boston speaking to the media about Mitchell.

“Yeah, Kelsey comes in here, and she works every day. I mean, she gets an extra shot. She just comes in and does what she needs to do, and I think honestly, she’s really just MVP. Like, I think that’s just what she’s been doing. Every single night you see her come out and she drops. I don’t even know how many points at this rate. She defends her b*** off, and then we just come out here, and we play. I mean, she does exactly what she needs to do, so I’m really proud of her.”

At the moment, there seems to be little difference between Mitchell and Clark, as both are putting up staggering numbers across the board. Mitchell is averaging 24.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 50.9% from the field and 44.5% from beyond the arc. Mitchell leads the Indiana team in scoring.

Caitlin Clark follows her closely in scoring, averaging 21.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, leading the team in assists. Her high usage rate of 30.9% indicates her role as a key playmaker for this Indiana team. She contributes a staggering 50.4% of the team’s assists, highlighting the fact that she enables others around her to score freely as well.

Whether Bayless is right or not, Indiana Fever fans will hope that both Mitchell and Clark are at the peak of their skills in the postseason, as Indiana aims for its first title since 2012. Fans will probably not care who the MVP of the team is as long as the title comes to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.