LAS VEGAS -- Kelsey Mitchell stared emotionless and motionless at nothing in general as she sat on the dais Thursday night. Caitlin Clark, by her side, used a hand to check her tooth and nose after getting hit in the face in the fourth quarter.
Amid the disappointment of a first-round playoff exit, Mitchell and Clark found the silver lining as a dour cloud hung over the Indiana Fever. The No. 6 seed fell to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 94-83 inside Michelob Ultra Arena to end a record-setting season for a team that ultimately did not reach its goals.
“Obviously, probably [let this] hurt a little bit,” Clark said. “This is really only my fifth game playing in the postseason, so you kind of take the burn a little bit but also [remember] how much fun this season was and how together our group was and just getting to replicate that going forward.”
Clark and Mitchell were the highest-scoring duo in WNBA history for the highest-scoring offense in league history. But a championship was the goal and the Fever fell well short. They were the No. 6 seed for a third consecutive season and didn’t advance as far as 2025, when they were an overtime period away from the Finals with an injury-riddled roster.
“Being part of playoffs, this is what it’s all about, to get the experience,” Mitchell said, “to figure out what you’ve got to be better at, to figure out what your flaws [are], to figure out what your weaknesses are. I think as a group, we still are getting our feet wet on the playoff experience side. And we played against a team that is full of playoff experiences. So that speaks for itself.
“I think all we could do is keep fighting our best to be able to get in these positions to be able to get the experience. I think that you look at the film, you take your preseason and use it for what it is, and I think we put ourselves in a position to be back here hopefully next year.”
Clark said this year was the most basketball she has ever played -- between Team USA camp, the WNBA season and the FIBA World Cup -- and it was one of the most fulfilling she has had. Her 22.3 points per game ranked No. 3 in the league and 8.3 assists ranked No. 2. In Game 2, she became the first player in league history to record 25-plus points and 15 assists in any game -- regular season or postseason.
Mitchell finished with 24.7 points per game to rank No. 2 and her 1,086 points set the single-season scoring record. The four-time All-Star also set the single-season record for 3-point field goals with 135. But Mitchell will now be an unrestricted free agent.
The Fever trailed by only two points with 2:15 left but couldn’t complete the rally. Mitchell and Clark combined for 41 points, but on 13-for-41 shooting and 6-for-23 from beyond the arc.
“Kelsey, in my opinion, had the best season of any guard that there’s ever been in this league,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of really good wins and not many nights where me and Kels are going to combine to shoot as poorly as we did tonight. That’s sometimes a tough pill to swallow, but still a lot of things to be proud of.”
Clark added: “I was able to come out here and put together the best season I’ve had and perform at a really high level and basically get better in every area and still feel like I have so many areas to improve. So, I guess that’s the most exciting part moving forward. I love the work. I love being in the gym. So, I’ll probably be kicked out for a little while, but we’ll get back to it.”
