Mercury Coach Left Bewildered by Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell Fever Backcourt
The Indiana Fever improved to 12-15 on the WNBA season on Friday after defeating the Phoenix Mercury by a score of 98-89.
The Fever's backcourt of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell stole the show. Clark finished the game with 29 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field and added 10 assists and 5 rebounds, while Mitchell added 28 points (including going 6 of 13 shooting from three-point range), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in the big win.
Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts had no answer for either member of Indiana's backcourt. And he discussed just how special this dynamic duo is during his postgame press conference.
"I'll have to check the film on that, how [Mitchell] was able to get open," Tibbetts said, per Desert Wave Media. "Obviously, Caitlin is an unbelievable passer and Kelsey shot the heck out of it. So I thought Caitlin made good plays looking for Kelsey.
"I'm not sure how she was getting open," Tibbetts added. "But we'll have to look at that.”
Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts on Caitlin Clark’s ability to find Kelsey Mitchell:
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) August 17, 2024
“Caitlin is an unbelievable passer and Kelsey shot the heck out of it. So I thought Caitlin made good plays looking for Kelsey. I'm not sure how she was getting open, but we'll have to look… pic.twitter.com/9QNBEf5NiA
Clark and Mitchell have played masterfully against the Mercury before. The backcourt duo combined for 48 points (Clark with 20 and Mitchell with 28) during Indiana's 95-86 win on July 12 and scored 31 total points during the Fever's 88-82 win on June 30.
Since the Fever and Mercury won't face off anymore during the regular season, Tibbetts will likely have an entire offseason to try and decipher how he can keep Clark and Mitchell from beating his team in 2025 (that is, if Mitchell remains with Indiana).
Then again, there's a chance that the two teams may meet in the 2024 playoffs. Although Tibbetts would likely prefer to face any other team than the Fever, given what their backcourt has done to him this season.
GRANT YOUNG
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.