Fever recorded first win without Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever were finally able to put an end to their three-game losing streak owing to Kelsey Mitchell’s commendable shooting prowess. Mitchell dropped 24 points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out three assists as the Fever avenged their past defeat to the Washington Mystics and took them down 85-76. This was their first win without star player Caitlin Clark, who is out of action with her left quadriceps injury.
Lexie Hull dropped 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Aliyah Boston came up with 10 points, one rebound and four assists. Aari McDonald, who was signed by Indiana on a hardship extension, poured in seven points, one rebound, and five assists in 27 minutes of action. The Fever trailed by two points at halftime but came up with 31 points in the third quarter, and outscored their first half total. They headed into the third quarter with a 69-55 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Mystics went on an early 12-0 run which cut their deficit to 69-67. Just when they thought the game had slipped away, the Fever responded with a 7-0 run and regained control of the game. In the final minutes, Mitchell completed a three-point play and extended their lead to eight points. At last, the Fever took down their rivals 85-76, recording their third win of the season.
Indiana Fever forward Lexie Hull heaped praise on Aari McDonald for her gameplay during Tuesday-night clash against the Washington Mystics. Hull, who finished with 14 points for Indiana, addressed the media in the post-game presser.
She said, “Just proud of us for fighting and also just really proud of Aari for coming out and providing just some incredible minutes. 27 minutes and she was ready. She stayed ready and we needed every single one of those and I’m just really proud of the group today.”
Apart from her, Kelsey Mitchell also didn’t hold herself back and lauded McDonald for her offensive as well as defensive contributions to the game. In the post-game media conference, Mitchell said, “She did an unbelievable job of coming in yesterday and really knowing the plays. Somebody said in the locker room, ‘we feel like you know the plays more than us’.“
Mitchell added, “She just kind of was on it and I think it just goes to show what pros are and how they are supposed to operate and she did everything amazingly with such grace and I think for us we could use what she brings to us to the table offensively and defensively.”
In their next game, the Fever will travel to Chicago on Saturday, June 7.
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