Kelsey Mitchell Sets WNBA Single-Season Scoring Record in Fever Win

Kelsey Mitchell passed A'ja Wilson with 7:57 left in the third quarter Friday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum, hitting a 24-foot 3-pointer off a Caitlin Clark assist to set the WNBA single-season scoring record.

Mitchell finished with 33 points in the Indiana Fever's 103-85 win over the Toronto Tempo. She now has 1,034 points this season. Wilson scored 1,021 for the Las Vegas Aces in 2024, and she did it in 38 games.

Mitchell walked into a celebration in the Fever locker room without knowing it was for her. When confetti came down as she walked in, her first thought was that Fever coach Stephanie White had reached another milestone, according to The Associated Press.

"Then, out of nowhere, everybody started coming my way, and I was like, 'Oh,' and I put two together that it was for me," Mitchell said.

Mitchell shot 12-of-17 from the field and 7-of-11 from 3-point range. Her 128 3-pointers this season are a franchise record.

It was also her 25th consecutive game with at least 20 points, extending her own WNBA record. Back on June 4 against Atlanta, she joined the league's 5,000-point club.

Mitchell has played all nine of her WNBA seasons in Indiana, and the losing years were where her mind went afterward, in comments reported by USA Today's Cydney Henderson.

"I only found out seven minutes ago," Mitchell explained. "It's still settling in, but I think about ... all the times that I wasn't even supposed to be in these rooms. And I look back on my career and time with the Fever. At one point, 6-27 ... it took a lot of work to really be here."

Entering Friday, Mitchell averaged 25 points. Only Wilson, at 26.1, is averaging more this season.

"She's playing at another level and it's been really incredible to witness," White said. "I hope that we don't take it for granted that what we're witnessing is some unprecedented stuff."

Clark said Mitchell is making 47% of her 3-point attempts.

"I don't think people realize what (Mitchell) has done this year and how insane it's been," Clark said. "It's probably not talked about enough. For her to score the ball consistently every single night and that the clip she's doing it, how efficient she's doing it, it's ridiculous. I've never seen anything like it."

"She's not shooting layups," Clark continued. "She's shooting contested midrange jump shots. She's getting downhill. And then obviously she's shooting 47% from the 3-point line."

Clark had 28 points and 14 assists. The assist total matched her season high, and she also had 14 in a June 16 home win over Toronto.

She shot 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-8 from 3-point range, and 12-of-12 at the free throw line.

Friday was her first game since the FIBA Women's World Cup. Team USA beat France 97-79 in the gold medal game Sept. 13 in Berlin, and Clark came off the bench for 12 points and 3 assists. Aliyah Boston and White also returned from the gold medal run.

It was the 10th time this season Clark has scored at least 25 points with at least 10 assists. No other WNBA player has done it that many times over an entire career.

The game was also her 14th double-double of the season and the 20th time this season she and Mitchell each scored 20 or more.

Indiana led by as many as 16 points in the first half. Toronto closed the second quarter on a 14-1 run and went into the break down 53-50.

At halftime, Clark gave the Tempo credit.

"I feel like it's a pretty sloppy half for us," Clark explained. "I got to give them credit. They're going to fight. They're going to keep fighting. So we got to come out ready in second half."

The Tempo took their first lead with 8:14 left in the third quarter, and the lead changed hands eight times in that period alone.

Indiana carried a 79-73 lead into the fourth and outscored Toronto 24-12 the rest of the way.

Clark was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul with 9:25 remaining after making contact with Isabelle Harrison's face on a drive.

Laura Juskaite led Toronto with 22 points. Kiki Rice had 18, while Harrison and Temi Fagbenle each scored 16.

The Tempo lost their fifth straight game. Toronto opened its inaugural season 9-9 and has gone 2-21 since.

Marina Mabrey did not play. On Wednesday, the team said she will miss the final four games of the season with a right adductor injury. Her last appearance came Aug. 18 in a home loss to Indiana.

Toronto was also without Brittney Sykes, Aneesah Morrow, and Maria Conde.

The win was Indiana's eighth in 10 games.

At 27-14, the Fever have the same record as the Atlanta Dream with three games left in the regular season. Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Indiana are all chasing home-court advantage in the opening round, which goes to the top four seeds.

Home court is the goal Clark set for the final three games.

"Our goal is to gain home-court advantage because that is really important, especially in that three-game series," Clark said.

The Fever host the Washington Mystics on Sunday and close the regular season with two games against the Minnesota Lynx.

Toronto finishes its home schedule Sunday against the New York Liberty.