The WNBA regular season is winding down, leading to a last push for making the playoffs, seedings and awards. And the conversation for WNBA MVP is heating up.
The Indiana Fever have a pair of candidates: the ever popular Caitlin Clark and the record-setting Kelsey Mitchell. They’ve each had their moments that have helped their cases. Mitchell on Thursday set a WNBA record for consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, one she advanced Saturday to 22 by scoring a game-high 25 points in the Fever’s 109-102 loss to the New York Liberty.
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The Fever (24-14) already have their ticket for the WNBA playoffs, and are battling for a homecourt spot as they sit fifth. But Aliyah Boston, the third of the big three, believes that her teammates don’t need a viral campaign or a social media push to move to the front of the MVP conversation.
“I think if you look at the numbers they’re putting out, both C and Kels, I feel like it’s clear,” Boston said. “I mean, teams guard them differently. They’re sending everyone. They’re throwing gem defenses, I mean, ball pressure is so different, and they’re still putting up these numbers. So I feel like there’s not really much of a campaign. I feel like when you just look at the numbers and you look at the way teams guard, it’s clear as day.”
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The 30-year-old Mitchell was a finalist in 2025 and is likely to be again after improving her game. She’s become one of the league’s elite scorers, averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game with 2.7 assists per game. She’s shooting 50.9% from the floor and 44.8% from 3-point range — both career-bests. She also was Eastern Conference Player of the Month in July.
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Clark became the second player in franchise history to win Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times in one season. She won the monthly award for the East in June. Though she’s missed four games this season due to a back injury, Clark is averaging 21.7 points, 8.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Must read: How Kelsey Mitchell developed into one of the WNBA’s elite scorers: Mental makeup, perseverance
Insider likes, dislikes: Free throws undo Indiana Fever in loss to New York Liberty on front end of back-to-back
WNBA MVP odds 2026
Here are the favorites for WNBA MVP for the 2026 regular season per BetMGM:
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell for WNBA MVP? Fever teammate says cases are ‘clear as day’
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