When Caitlin Clark discovered she gained Japanese Convention Participant of the Month, she wished that another person had gained it: her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell.
“I felt like [Kelsey] in all probability ought to have gotten just a little bit of affection,” Clark mentioned earlier than Wednesday’s Fever win over the Sparks. “I truthfully thought she deserved to be Participant of the Month. Simply what she was doing, and on the clip she was doing it this month — I believe she was like 50/40/90 this month, which is actually, actually arduous to do. So I really feel very lucky to play together with her. Actually, I’m not even making an attempt to be corny. I actually suppose she deserved it.”
Clark had a historic month, and she or he’s been the engine that has made all of it go. However she’s not mistaken about Mitchell’s effectivity nor influence — the 7-year veteran has been a licensed bucket-getter. For the reason that Olympic break, Mitchell is averaging 25.6 factors on 51.4% capturing, together with 44.8% from three and and 92% from the road. She’s second in scoring solely to A’ja Wilson, who has averaged 29 factors in her final 8 video games, and her top-scoring sport got here final week in a 36-point outing in opposition to the Wings.
For the season, Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 46.4% from the ground and 39.5% from three, and she or he’s the fifth-leading scorer amongst guards.
Should you have a look at the highest scoring guards, nonetheless, solely the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper comes near rivaling her effectivity:
- Arike Ogunbowale – 22.6 factors on 37.7% capturing, 34.5% from three
- Kahleah Copper – 22.2 factors on 44.5% capturing, 32.4% from three
- Jewell Loyd – 20.5 factors on 36.3% capturing, 28.1% from three
- Sabrina Ionescu -19.5 factors on 41.4% capturing, 34% from three
- Kelsey Mitchell – 19 factors on 46.4% capturing, 39.1% from three
The WNBA is usually a league powered by forwards and bigs, not guards, so let’s try to contextualize simply precisely how efficient Mitchell has been. In league historical past, the one guards who’ve maintained Mitchell’s stat-line of 19+ factors on 46%+ capturing and 39%+ from three are Kelsey Plum (2022), Elena Delle Donne (2018, 2019), Diana Taurasi (2009), Cappie Pondexter (2010), Seimone Augustus (2007), and Cynthia Cooper (2007). That’s elite firm, a lot in order that Mitchell is definitely the one non-Olympian on the checklist.
This season, Mitchell has the second-highest three-point share of any guard who has tried not less than one three-pointer per sport, after the Lynx’s Kayla McBride. Clark has made her life rather a lot simpler, however Mitchell’s capacity to draw the protection and rating in any respect three ranges has conversely made it troublesome for groups to blitz Clark the way in which they did earlier within the season.
For the reason that Olympic break, the Fever have had the league’s greatest document at 7-1, and collectively, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell have fashioned the highest-scoring backcourt within the league.
“I really feel fortunate to have a backcourt mate who has been at this for seven years and has actually helped me and sort of let me flourish,” Clark mentioned.
Fever head coach Christie Sides has praised Mitchel’s work ethic and poise all season.
“I simply preserve calling her probably the greatest skilled gamers I’ve ever been round,” Sides mentioned. “She’s simply all the time constant. At all times according to getting further work in. You possibly can rely on that.”
For Mitchell, her seventh yr as a Fever marks her first postseason berth, and she or he’s made it clear she’s not involved in going again to dropping basketball.
“I do know what the underside seems like,” ” Mitchell mentioned, “and I don’t need to be there no extra.”
