Kelsey Mitchell leads Fever to blowout win vs red-hot Liberty; likes, dislikes

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever finished off the New York Liberty with an emphatic win, 106-92, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

The Fever held onto a double-digit lead for most of the game (save for a Liberty comeback to a nine-point deficit in the third) and were able to rest their starters for the final few minutes.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 28 points, while Caitlin Clark added on 22 points and 10 assists and Aliyah Boston had 19 points and seven rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked from the Fever’s win tonight:

‘s win vs New York Liberty

• Keeping the pressure up in the first half: The Fever have had a bad habit of building up leads, then breaking down. That didn’t happen in the first half Tuesday night. Instead, Indiana kept its foot on the gas. Kelsey Mitchell kept her 20+-point streak alive in the first half alone, and Caitlin Clark added on 18 points and six assists in the game’s first 20 minutes. The Fever shot 60% from the field and 78% from 3-point range, finding ways to easily slice through the Liberty’s defense.

• Kelsey Mitchell’s consistency: The most consistent player on the Fever has long been veteran guard Mitchell, and she showed why with her 17th straight 20+-point game Tuesday night. Those 20 points came quickly, too, as she scored her 20th on a reverse layup while guarded by 6-6 Jonquel Jones in the second quarter. Being 5-8 doesn’t stop Mitchell, as she’s the quickest player on the court.

• Makayla Timpson‘s court awareness: Second-year Fever forward Makayla Timpson is learning more and more every day, and its evident in the way she plays after she was elevated to the starting lineup ahead of the Fever’s game against Chicago on Saturday. On Tuesday, after a pass from Clark into the paint, Timpson hesitated under the basket as Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart jumped to defend the shot. After Stewart returned to the ground, Timpson had a clear look for a reverse layup, and she made the shot to keep the Fever ahead by double digits.

Keeping the pressure up in the first half: The Fever have had a bad habit of building up leads, then breaking down. That didn’t happen in the first half Tuesday night. Instead, Indiana kept its foot on the gas. Kelsey Mitchell kept her 20+-point streak alive in the first half alone, and Caitlin Clark added on 18 points and six assists in the game’s first 20 minutes. The Fever shot 60% from the field and 78% from 3-point range, finding ways to easily slice through the Liberty’s defense.

Kelsey Mitchell’s consistency: The most consistent player on the Fever has long been veteran guard Mitchell, and she showed why with her 17th straight 20+-point game Tuesday night. Those 20 points came quickly, too, as she scored her 20th on a reverse layup while guarded by 6-6 Jonquel Jones in the second quarter. Being 5-8 doesn’t stop Mitchell, as she’s the quickest player on the court.

Makayla Timpson‘s court awareness: Second-year Fever forward Makayla Timpson is learning more and more every day, and its evident in the way she plays after she was elevated to the starting lineup ahead of the Fever’s game against Chicago on Saturday. On Tuesday, after a pass from Clark into the paint, Timpson hesitated under the basket as Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart jumped to defend the shot. After Stewart returned to the ground, Timpson had a clear look for a reverse layup, and she made the shot to keep the Fever ahead by double digits.

• The beginning of the third quarter: Indiana stayed strong in the first half, but a slight breakdown came at the beginning of the third quarter. The Fever were up by 18 at halftime, but thew say that lead shrink to nine points as the Liberty went on an 11-2 run to start the third quarter. Indiana managed to respond quickly, however, getting back up by 20 points by the end of the quarter and outscoring the Liberty in the third (activating free cheese curds from Culver’s).

The beginning of the third quarter: Indiana stayed strong in the first half, but a slight breakdown came at the beginning of the third quarter. The Fever were up by 18 at halftime, but thew say that lead shrink to nine points as the Liberty went on an 11-2 run to start the third quarter. Indiana managed to respond quickly, however, getting back up by 20 points by the end of the quarter and outscoring the Liberty in the third (activating free cheese curds from Culver’s).

The Fever like to play with pace, and that’s how they’re able to get past older, slower teams like the Liberty. New York, which has an unquestionably deep roster of Stewart, Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, likes to play more halfcourt basketball, and the Fever know how to take advantage of that with their sheer pace. Indiana also was able to hold onto its lead, even after being tested in the third quarter, which showed a good sign of growth as the playoffs loom.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.