The Indiana Fever are having an outstanding campaign in the WNBA, and their recent results stand out even more considering they’ve played their last few games without their biggest star, Caitlin Clark. Led by the experience of Kelsey Mitchell, the team stepped up alongside her teammates and managed to overcome the absences thanks to one key factor.

The recent win over the Chicago Sky was yet another clear display of the resilience shown by Stephanie White’s squad, as they managed to overcome not only the absence of Clark, but also the losses of Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson.

Following the team’s dominant 92-70 victory, Mitchell made it clear that one of the keys to competing at a high level every night is playing with joy—paired with the respect each game deserves.

“We gotta laugh to keep from crying. Losing Syd (Sydney Colson) was big … losing Aari (Aari McDonald) was big … not having CC (Caitlin Clark) is even bigger,” Mitchell said in a CBS video shared on X by @Ericaf455.

“So those three not being here, we gotta take every joy that we can and we wanna enjoy while we can enjoy, but also respect the game. (We’re) committed to each other, and that’s what you gotta see, it’s us staying together.”

The injuries affecting the Fever

The Indiana Fever‘s backcourt has been decimated by a string of injuries. Caitlin Clark has been dealing with physical issues throughout the season and is currently sidelined with a recurring right groin strain she suffered in mid-July.

While the former Hawkeyes player recovers, both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald suffered severe, season-ending injuries in the same game against the Phoenix Mercury.

Colson tore her left ACL, while McDonald fractured a bone in her right foot. These injuries have left the Fever without their top three point guards, significantly complicating the team’s playoff aspirations.

What’s next for the Fever?

Aiming to stay on track in the Eastern Conference race, here are the upcoming games where Stephanie White’s squad will need to keep piling up wins to catch the leaders:
  • vs Dallas Wings, August 12th
  • vs Washington Mystics, August 15th
  • vs Connecticut Sun, August 17th
  • vs Minnesota Lynx, August 22nd
  • vs Minnesota Lynx, August 24th