Kelsey Mitchell drops 38 as Fever erase 21-point hole to stun Sun 99-93 in OT.
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Mitchell powered Indiana in overtime, scoring every point of a 10-4 run — capped by back-to-back threes — to give the Fever control.
Kelsey Mitchell’s Career Night Fuels Fever’s Stunning OT Comeback
There are nights when everything just clicks — when a player carries more than a box score, when one performance becomes a pivot point. For Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever, August 17, 2025 was one of those nights.
Trailing the Connecticut Sun by 21 points deep in the third quarter, the Fever looked like a team resigned to defeat. By the final buzzer, however, they’d pulled off the largest comeback in franchise history, beating the Sun 99-93 in overtime. And Mitchell? She was the engine. Her offensive eruption — a career-tying 38 points — turned what seemed like a certain loss into a signature win. (Indiana Fever)
How She Did It: The Stats That Tell the Story
Here’s what makes Mitchell’s performance stand out:
She scored 34 of her 38 points in the second half and OT — when the game mattered most. (Indiana Fever)
Shooting line: 11-for-22 from the field, 5-for-8 from three, and an impressive 11-for-12 from free throws. (Indiana Fever)
That 38-point total was the highest point tally of any player in the WNBA for that season at that time. (Indiana Fever)
She broke a Fever franchise record: this was her 11th game scoring 30 or more points, surpassing Tamika Catchings’ previous record of 10 such games. (Indiana Fever)
On top of Mitchell’s heroics, her teammates made key contributions. Aliyah Boston had a double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds), Natasha Howard added solid scoring and rebounding, and Odyssey Sims provided veteran presence and assists. (Indiana Fever)
Why This Game Matters More Than Just One Win
This wasn’t just another matchup. There are deeper implications:
Resilience & Momentum. Battling a large deficit against a good opponent and coming out on top gives a boost in belief. It sends a message that the Fever are dangerous even when things look grim.
Mitchell’s role solidified. She’s not just a scorer — she’s a closer. This kind of performance under pressure shifts perceptions. Mitchell has long been good, but clutch games like this push her toward greatness.
Team identity & future playoff hopes. Indiana showed that they can grind, that they can depend on players beyond just the star names. For the rest of the season (and potentially the playoffs), that kind of belief matters.
Franchise legacy. Beating a deficit of 21, setting records, turning one of their roughest patches into a spectacle — fans will remember nights like this. This game becomes part of what the Fever stand for.
Kelsey Mitchell’s Season in Context
This night fit into what has already been a breakout year for Mitchell and the Fever:
She’s been putting up career-high averages. As of the 2025 regular season, she was averaging 20.2 points per game, which placed her among the league’s scoring leaders. (Wikipedia)
She’s been consistent: multiple 30-point games, solid shooting splits, and showing she can lead when others are out or when the stakes are high. (Swish Appeal)
The re-signing with the Fever, long described as a priority, indicates the organization sees her as central to their future. Her leadership, ability to perform in clutch moments, and improved numbers support that trust. (SB Nation)
My Take: What This Means Personally
Watching this game, I was struck by how much it reflects what I enjoy about sports: the unpredictability, the moments when an individual lifts a whole squad. I’ve followed Mitchell’s career for years, rooting for her in quieter games, through rough patches, waiting for a night when everything lines up.
This was that night. What makes it special is that it wasn’t just scoring for scoring’s sake — every basket felt like it swung momentum. Every time the Fever needed her, she was there.
Also, this kind of performance doesn't just serve her stat line — it serves as inspiration. For teammates, for fans, for younger players watching: to know that even when down by a lot, even when the odds look stacked, there’s room to fight, to believe.
What to Watch From Here
If this game is a turning point, here are things I’ll be keeping an eye on:
Playoff seeding & matchups. If the Fever carry this energy, where they land in the playoff bracket could matter a lot.
Consistency of Mitchell. Can she replicate this type of performance in subsequent tight games? Doing it once is huge; doing it often separates stars from legends.
Support from the roster. Others stepping up will allow the team to survive when Mitchell is off-night or being defended tightly.
How opponents adjust. Expect teams to game-plan specifically for her after this game: double teams, denying the catch, etc. Her ability to adapt matters.
Final Thoughts
Tonight will be remembered as one of those performances where Kelsey Mitchell didn’t just score a lot — she shifted a game, changed momentum, carried belief. For Indiana, it was more than just a win: it was proof of identity, grit, and growth.
As a fan, I’m excited. Not just because of this comeback, but because this kind of game can define a season. If Mitchell continues to build on it — with leadership, scoring, and heart — the Fever could be one of the most interesting stories in the WNBA. And for Mitchell personally, this may be one of the nights people will point to when discussing her legacy.