
Indiana Fever Make Kelsey Mitchell Announcement After Eighth Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Without Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever suffered yet another loss, falling to 7-8 to begin the 2025 WNBA season.
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On Thursday, Mitchell and the Fever fell to Dearica Hamby and the Los Angeles Sparks 85-75, marking the Fever’s third loss in the past four games.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Clark was ruled out with a groin injury, which she suffered at the end of Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Storm. Indiana is now 2-4 without the former Iowa star.
Still, the Fever were able to jump out to a 58-50 lead to end the third. But the Sparks were able to outscore them 35-17 in the fourth quarter, ultimately ending the game.
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell looks on during a game.Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mitchell finished the night as Indiana’s leading scorer, tallying 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting and 4-of-9 from 3-point range, one rebound and four assists.
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For her play, the Fever announced that Mitchell has been named the “Stat Leader of the Game,” a variation of the typical Player of the Game award.
Mitchell is coming off the best season of her career in 2024, making her second WNBA All-Star appearance. This year, she is tracking to do the same, averaging 18.1 points on 43.6% shooting, 1.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Aari McDonald also had a solid return to the Fever after being re-signed on Wednesday. She tied a season-high with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals. Azura Stevens was Los Angeles’s top player, putting up 23 points and seven boards.
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Mitchell and the Fever will now have their eyes set on the second game of a back-to-back, traveling to Texas to take on Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. With Clark listed as day-to-day by Stephanie White, she may be unable to play for a second-straight game.
Related: Kelsey Plum’s Behavior Toward Caitlin Clark in Fever-Sparks Game Catches Attention
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.