Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell Combine for 57 Points as Fever Win Despite Caitlin Clark’s Worst Shooting Night of the Season
In a game that many anticipated would once again spotlight rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, it was instead Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell who seized the moment. Their combined 57-point outburst led the Indiana Fever to a critical win over the Seattle Storm, helping the team overcome one of Clark’s toughest shooting nights of the season. The final score didn’t just reflect a team victory—it told the story of two veterans rising to the occasion when their young star needed them most.
Coming into the game, all eyes were once again on Clark. The rookie phenom had shown flashes of brilliance in her debut season, but with increased expectations came increased defensive attention. The Storm, well aware of the media narrative surrounding the Fever’s offense, sent double teams, physical matchups, and aggressive closeouts Clark’s way from the opening tip. The result was a staggering 2-for-15 shooting performance from the arc and just 9 points overall—her lowest scoring output since turning pro.
But if there’s anything this Fever team is starting to establish, it’s that they are not just the “Caitlin Clark Show.” Boston and Mitchell made that abundantly clear.
Aliyah Boston, the second-year big from South Carolina, played with a controlled dominance that few in the league can match. From her precise post moves to her intelligent spacing on pick-and-rolls, Boston looked every bit the All-Star she was last season. She tallied 29 points on a wildly efficient 12-of-17 from the field, adding 11 rebounds and 3 assists to her stat line. Her presence in the paint punished Seattle’s interior defense repeatedly, particularly in the second half when the Fever began pulling away.
Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell added a different flavor to the scoring effort. Her perimeter shooting, mid-range floaters, and fearless drives made her a mismatch problem all night long. Mitchell poured in 28 points, including a momentum-shifting 10-point stretch in the third quarter that flipped a narrow deficit into a comfortable lead. Time and time again, when Indiana needed a bucket to stop a run or to quiet a roaring Seattle crowd, Mitchell delivered.
Their offensive brilliance was also bolstered by an unexpected, but effective defensive scheme by head coach Christie Sides. Knowing that the Storm had elite scoring threats in Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike, the Fever mixed man-to-man with frequent zone looks, throwing off Seattle’s rhythm. Loyd finished with a respectable 21 points, but her impact was muted in crucial stretches. Ogwumike, who had been thriving all season, found herself bottled up for long sequences and finished with just 14 points on sub-40% shooting.
The Fever also got timely contributions from NaLyssa Smith, who added 12 points and 8 rebounds, doing much of the dirty work that doesn’t show up in highlight reels. Erica Wheeler’s veteran leadership was evident on both ends of the floor, as she orchestrated the offense while also pestering Storm ball-handlers with full-court pressure.
But while the win was a collective effort, much of the postgame discourse naturally centered around Clark—both for her shooting woes and her demeanor in the face of adversity.
“I just couldn’t find my rhythm tonight,” Clark said during her media availability. “But that’s the beauty of this team. We’ve got dogs. Aliyah and Kelsey were insane. This win doesn’t happen without them.”
Clark’s humility and team-first mentality have been hallmarks of her young career, and her willingness to praise teammates rather than deflect blame resonated with fans and media alike. Despite her shooting line, she still made an impact in other ways: 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Her gravity as a scorer created open lanes for others, even if her own shots weren’t falling.
For Boston, the performance was about silencing the doubters. She had heard whispers earlier in the season questioning whether her chemistry with Clark could develop quickly enough. This game was a resounding answer.
“We trust each other,” Boston said. “I know what Caitlin brings to the table. And she knows what I bring. Nights like this, when one of us is off, the rest step up.”
Mitchell echoed those sentiments, saying, “Caitlin gets a lot of attention, good and bad. But she’s one of us. And we ride together. I’ve been in this league long enough to know that one bad game doesn’t define you.”
The win also gave the Fever a much-needed boost in the standings. Hovering around the playoff cut line, every win against a strong Western Conference team counts. The Storm had entered the game on a four-game win streak, and with veterans like Loyd, Ogwumike, and Skylar Diggins-Smith, they were looking more and more like a postseason threat.
So for Indiana to come into Seattle’s home floor and not just compete—but control large stretches of the game—was a statement. A statement that the Fever are evolving. That they are more than their star rookie. That their core, built around Boston, Mitchell, and Smith, is formidable.
The game also sparked broader conversations around Clark’s transition to the WNBA. Analysts on postgame panels debated whether expectations had become too inflated. Former players like Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi, both of whom have commented extensively on Clark this season, weighed in again.
“She’s going to be fine,” Parker said on the broadcast. “Everyone has rough shooting nights. What matters is how she responds. And from what I’ve seen, her leadership hasn’t wavered.”
Fans, too, took to social media to defend Clark and uplift Boston and Mitchell. Hashtags like #FeverFamily and #TrustTheTeam trended throughout the night. It was a reminder that while one player may get most of the headlines, the real story is always in the team.
The chemistry between Boston and Clark has been growing steadily all season, but this game showed that the Fever’s strength doesn’t hinge solely on one or two connections. It’s about flexibility, shared responsibility, and trust. It’s about role players stepping up, about stars embracing the spotlight without hoarding it, and about a young team maturing in real-time.
With the win, the Fever improved their record to 9-10, staying within striking distance of the top six seeds. More importantly, they seemed to grow as a unit, weathering a poor night from their most talked-about player with poise and pride.
As they prepare for their next matchup, the Fever are walking into the second half of the season with a clearer identity. Aliyah Boston is still the interior anchor, both offensively and defensively. Kelsey Mitchell remains one of the league’s most underrated scorers. And Caitlin Clark, even when cold from the field, is the gravitational force who opens up the floor for everyone else.
Winning teams in the WNBA aren’t built on one player’s brilliance alone. They’re built on depth, accountability, and nights like this—where the stars align differently, and others rise.
Indiana may have come into the season under the national spotlight because of one player, but they’re proving, more and more, that this is a team that can win in different ways, on different nights, with different heroes.
And in Seattle, with Clark struggling, it was Boston and Mitchell who wore the capes.
