Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell was frustrated but succinct in pinpointing the root cause of the team's troubles after losing 106-92 at Los Angeles on Wednesday. "Anything you want to do on the offensive end, you can't do when you don't defend the ball," Mitchell said.
"Getting the ball out of the net every possession, you're discombobulated." The Fever were preparing for games in Phoenix and Las Vegas over the next four days. It's a long season, but this felt like a pivotable point.
And it's why Indiana moved up to No. 4 in this week's ESPN WNBA Power Rankings.
Victories over the Mercury and Aces gave the Fever a 3-1 record on their western road trip and sent them back to Indianapolis with a 14-9 record for the longest homestand they have for the remainder of this season. The Fever play their next four games before the All-Star break at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, starting Wednesday with a big matchup with Golden State , which is No.
1 in the Power Rankings for a second week in a row. Indiana guard Caitlin Clark returned Wednesday after missing two games with back issues.
She played in short stints against Los Angeles and couldn't get into the flow of the game, finishing with nine points in 16 minutes. She looked more comfortable Sunday in Las Vegas, playing 24 minutes and finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Center Aliyah Boston , who missed the loss to the Sparks with a leg injury, came back strong with 21 points and nine rebounds against the Mercury and 19 and 11 against the Aces. The Fever also had key performances such as Tyasha Harris ' 15 points and Makayla Timpson's highlight-reel block against the backboard at Phoenix, and Sophie Cunningham's 20 points at Las Vegas.
The Fever defended better against the Mercury and the Aces, which gave them more transition opportunities and sparked their offense. Then there's Mitchell, the longest-tenured Fever player (all nine of her WNBA seasons have been with Indiana) who at age 30 is having her best season in an outstanding career.
She is averaging 22.7 points and shooting 48.8% from the field and 40.9% from 3-point range. If those numbers hold to the end of the season, they would be career highs.
Mitchell, who also works tirelessly on defense, has scored 25 or more points in six consecutive games, two short of the record held by Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson in 2024. "She's the fastest player in the league with the ball in her hands," Fever coach Stephanie White said of Mitchell.
"The game is fast, but it's also slowed down for her in a way that she's become even more deadly of a playmaker. Her endurance is incredible.
We rely heavily on her." Here's a look at all 15 teams. 1.
Golden State Valkyries (17-7) Previous ranking: 1 Next seven days: @ IND (July 15), vs. WAS (July 18), vs.
WAS (July 20) The Valkyries are on a seven-game winning streak, with the last four victories coming on the road. They've had five different players lead them in scoring during the streak, an indication of how difficult they are to guard.
This past week, Golden State won 83-75 at Toronto and 79-64 at Connecticut. Forward Janelle Salaun totaled 46 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the field.
The Valkyries are holding opponents to 76.2 points per game and have a 101.2 defensive rating, leading the league in both categories. 2.
Minnesota Lynx (18-6) Previous ranking: 4 Next seven days: vs. LA (July 15), vs.
POR (July 18), @ SEA (July 20) After losing two in a row, the Lynx went 3-0 this past week and have the best record in the WNBA. Guard Kayla McBride led the way with a combined 85 points in the three wins.
The Lynx beat Connecticut 86-80 on Wednesday, then topped New York 90-85 on Saturday. Then they held off a desperate Phoenix team for a 104-100 win Monday behind McBride's 37 points and Olivia Miles ' 33, a Lynx rookie record.
3. Dallas Wings (16-8) Previous ranking: 5 Next seven days: vs.
NY (July 16), vs. LA (July 19) The Wings have won five in a row.
In her second season, guard Paige Bueckers continues to improve on her Rookie of the Year campaign, and forward Jessica Shepard keeps making her case for the Most Improved Player award. The Wings won 88-77 at New York on July 7 behind Shepard's third triple-double of the season (22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists).
Then in Montreal on Friday, the Wings beat Toronto 108-95 led by Bueckers (34 points, six rebounds, six assists) and Shepard (20 points, 17 rebounds). Back at home Sunday after playing six of the previo