Lexie Hull & Kelsey Mitchell DESTROY Angel Reese & Sky – Indiana Fever WIN Without Caitlin Clark!
**No Caitlin Clark? No problem.**
No Sophie Cunningham? No problem. No head coach Stephanie White? No worries. *Last man standing* Austin Kelly showed up. Right at the Chicago Sky’s home court of the United Center, the Indiana Fever were having a nightmare.
Before the game, many believed that if you took Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and the head coach away from Indiana, you’d have… an easy win for the Chicago Sky. Angel Reese and company thought so too. But they were dead wrong.
### **The Fever showed they weren’t “Caitlin Clark’s team”**
That night, Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 points. Lexie Hull continued her stellar form, while rookie Ari McDonald orchestrated the offense like a veteran. Aaliyah Boston and Natasha Howard also contributed significantly on both ends of the floor. The result: The Fever not only won, they *crushed* the Sky by 27 points — away from home.
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky were left humiliated. Those who doubted the Fever without Clark were just “Clark and four others” were silenced.
### **Austin Kelly – from assistant to leader**
Without Stephanie White, assistant Austin Kelly took on the role of head coach for the first time in a legendary stadium. But he was not intimidated. With his poise, Kelly was like a real “final boss” on the sidelines. The players responded with a resilient spirit, controlling the game from start to finish.
The Sky thought this was a chance to avenge the 35-point loss in May. Instead, they were crushed by an even more devastating defeat.
### **Kelsey Mitchell – from pressure to stardom**
With Clark absent, all eyes were on Mitchell. She quickly proved her mettle: leading the scoring, finishing effectively, leading the offense flexibly. This is the best Kelsey Mitchell fans have seen this season.
### **Lexie Hull and Aaliyah Boston – the silent pillars speak up**
Hull was perfect from the three-point line and led the game in +/- (effectiveness when on the court). Boston dominated the area under the basket with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks – her most complete two-way performance of the season.
### **Ari McDonald – the “trump card” that changed the game**
Signed on a “hardship” contract just a few days ago, McDonald surprised everyone. She scored 12 points, 3 steals, 1 block and especially the ability to control the tempo of the game like a conductor. Thanks to McDonald, the Fever switched offense quickly, opened up space, and completely confused Sky on defense.
### **Unity makes strength**
The Fever shared their opportunities, passed the ball smoothly (20 assists on 27 shots), and most importantly: no one tried to be the “new Caitlin Clark”. They were simply themselves — and that was more than enough. The Sky were the opposite: they shot just 32.1% from the field, 20% from the 3-point line, and no player scored more than 10 points. Angel Reese finished with just 4 points and 2/7 shooting.
### **Indiana Fever – overcoming the crisis with character**
Without Clark, without a head coach, the Fever played their most cohesive game of the season. They didn’t just survive, they *sparked*. And when the final whistle blew, the team celebrated like they had just won a championship — Caitlin Clark cheered from the bench, shouting, “Get water!” — a moment that showed the collective spirit that no individual could replace.
