On a night when Bam Adebayo handed A’ja Wilson her MVP trophy, the script was supposed to be about the league’s best player shining brightest. Instead, Kelsey Mitchell stole the spotlight. The Fever guard not only reminded everyone why she belonged in the MVP conversation, but also delivered a record-breaking performance that powered Indiana to a statement 89-73 win over the Aces in Game 1 of the semifinals. And from the sidelines, Caitlin Clark could only sit back and marvel at the magic unfolding.

Mitchell poured in 34 points on 12-of-23 shooting, drilling four treys as well, in what turned out to be a history-making performance. She etched her name into the record books, shattering milestones and reminding everyone why she’s one of the most dangerous scorers in the league.

• First-career 30-point playoff game.
• As ESPN’s Alexa Philippou noted, it marked the second-highest scoring output by a Fever player in playoff history
• She scored the most points ever by a WNBA player in their first career semifinal game

Even Caitlin Clark couldn’t stay quiet, taking to X to sum it up in two simple words: “Kelsey unreal.”

If you had told someone that the Fever would be leading a semifinal series against an Aces team that stormed into the postseason on a 16-game win streak after watching Caitlin Clark suit up for just 13 games and lose 5 players to season-ending injuries, no one would have believed you. But through all the setbacks, one thing has stayed constant: Kelsey Mitchell carrying this team when they’ve needed her most.

Heading into the postseason, Mitchell was having the best season of her career–averaging 20.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game over all 44 games, playing 31.4 minutes per outing. She became the first player this season to hit 100 three-pointers and only the first in WNBA history to reach that milestone three times. Yet, despite all that, the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who decide the WNBA MVP felt Mitchell didn’t deserve it.

Not a single one ranked her in their top three. She received 15 fourth-place votes and 48 fifth-place votes. But with her Game 1 performance, she answered her critics in the most emphatic way possible. But the Aces and A’ja Wilson knew a fight was coming, but even they couldn’t withstand the Kelsey Mitchell storm.

Mitchell Dominates Despite Aces’ Gameplan in Caitlin Clark’s Absence

A’ja Wilson knew just how good Mitchell had been for the Fever this season and knew she was going to be very difficult to contain. Soon after beating the Seattle Storm, Wilson laid out a gameplan for the Aces to handle Mitchell.

“Our biggest one is just going to be containing the basketball without fouling. I mean, Kelsey Mitchell’s having one heck of a year and, uh, it’s going to be hard to slow her down, but it’s not going to be just me and Jackie. It’s going to have to take all of us on the defensive end. And that’s what we’re going to have to really lock in on — just playing defense the right way and being on time and having layers to it. That’s what’s going to be my initial thought, and I’m sure Becky will probably say the same.”

In theory, this definitely looked like the right play given the fact that Mitchell did struggle in the past when opponents were tight on her, giving her no space to operate, as was the case when the Fever played the Valkyries last time. She was held to just 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, thanks to the relentless defense of Veronica Burton, Kalia Charles, and the rest of the Valkyries’ squad. But the Aces weren’t able to execute it. Not only did they commit more fouls than the Fever, but the Aces also let them shoot 50% from the field, which is the last thing you would want.

Moving forward, the Aces’ defense will have to work overtime to slow down Mitchell. With Caitlin Clark out, it’s Mitchell who’s carrying the Fear factor now. Do you think the Aces can mount a comeback in the series? Let us know in the comments below.