Fever vs. Tempo: Kelsey Mitchell Sets WNBA Single-Season Scoring Record With 33 in Indiana's 103-85 Win

Kelsey Mitchell rose for a 3-pointer with 6:55 left in the third quarter on Friday night in Toronto, and when it dropped, the WNBA's single-season scoring record had a new owner. The shot pushed her beyond the 1,021-point season A'ja Wilson put together for Las Vegas in 2024, and Mitchell was nowhere near done.

She finished with 33 points, Caitlin Clark added 28 points and 14 assists, and the Indiana Fever pulled away from the Toronto Tempo for a 103-85 win at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mitchell now has 1,034 points this season, with three regular-season games still to play.

History in the Middle of a Fight

The record arrived during a game that was far more competitive than the final score suggests. It was the first game for both teams after a nearly three-week World Cup break, and Indiana looked fresh early, leading 25-19 after one quarter and 53-38 late in the second.

Then the Tempo caught fire. Toronto scored 14 straight points across the end of the half and the start of the third, turning that 15-point deficit into a 53-52 game. The lead changed hands eight times on the night, and for a few minutes it felt like the first-year Tempo might steal one.

That is when Mitchell went to work. The record-breaking 3 was one of three she hit in the third quarter, according to the Fever, and Myisha Hines-Allen added seven points in the period as Indiana carried a 79-73 lead into the fourth.

Clark and Mitchell Closed It Out

Toronto would not fold. Laura Juskaite scored four quick points, the last on a driving layup with 4:07 left that made it 89-82. Clark answered by getting to the line twice and setting up Mitchell for a step-back jumper in between, and moments later the Fever were up 95-82.

Juskaite buried a 27-footer, but Indiana closed on an 8-0 run. Mitchell drilled a 27-foot 3 and then converted a three-point play, both on Clark assists, before Hines-Allen finished the scoring with a layup.

Mitchell's Masterpiece

Mitchell shot 12 of 17 overall and 7 of 11 from 3-point range, made both of her free throws and did not commit a turnover. The AP said it was her 25th consecutive game with at least 20 points, which extends her own WNBA record.

The Fever added more to the trophy case. Her seven 3s gave her 128 for the season, a franchise single-season record that broke the 122 Clark made in 2024. Per the team, that total also tied Sabrina Ionescu for the second-most 3s in a single season in WNBA history. It was also her 33rd game of 20 or more points this season, which the Fever said leaves her one behind Wilson's WNBA record of 34 with three games left. And for the 31st time, she and Clark both cleared 20 in the same game, extending a franchise record for the pair, according to the team.

Mitchell has spent this season playing like she found a cheat code, and on Friday the game finally flashed the high score.

Clark Ran the Show

Clark played her first game since helping the U.S. win the World Cup in Germany and looked completely comfortable. She scored 28 points on 7-of-15 shooting, went 12 for 12 at the line and handed out 14 assists, matching a season high she also posted in a June 16 home win over Toronto. The AP counted it as her 14th double-double, and the Fever said those 14 assists pushed her to 316 for the season, tied for fifth on the WNBA's single-season list. She also had six turnovers and five fouls, so it was not a perfectly tidy night, but nobody in Indiana will be complaining.

Hines-Allen had nine points and seven rebounds off the bench, finished a team-best plus-22, and went over 2,000 career points, according to the team. Aliyah Boston chipped in eight points with two 3s, three steals and two blocks. Indiana shot 59% from the field and 15 of 29 from deep, and assisted on 26 of its 36 field goals.

Toronto's Fight Was Real

The Tempo got 22 points from Juskaite and 18 from Kiki Rice, while Isabelle Harrison and Temi Fagbenle scored 16 each. Harrison also grabbed nine rebounds, and Toronto beat Indiana 12-3 on the offensive glass and earned 30 free-throw attempts. The problem was making them. The Tempo shot 19 of 30 at the line and were outscored 24-12 in the fourth quarter. Toronto was also without guard Marina Mabrey.

The Turning Point

Clark's two trips to the free-throw line and the Mitchell step-back in between, midway through the final five minutes. Toronto had just pulled within seven. Less than a minute later, the lead was back to 13, and the Tempo never got closer than 10 again.

Stats That Matter

• 1,034: Mitchell's season points, a new WNBA single-season record.
• 7 of 11: Mitchell from 3-point range.
• 12 of 12: Clark at the free-throw line.
• 19 of 30: Toronto's free throws, a lot of points left at the stripe.

What It Means

Indiana improved to 27-14 overall and 13-8 on the road. The Fever have won three straight and eight of their last 10, and they finished a 3-0 sweep of the season series with Toronto. Indiana hosts Washington on Sunday.

Toronto fell to 11-30 overall and 7-14 at home and has lost five straight. Per the AP, the Tempo started their inaugural season 9-9 but have won only two of their 23 games since. Their home schedule wraps up Sunday against New York.

Closing Take

Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley was in the building, according to the AP, so at least one NBA player can say he watched a WNBA record fall live. Wilson's mark lasted two seasons, and Mitchell erased it with three games to spare. It is the Speed version of record chasing: once that bus got rolling, nothing on the schedule was going to slow it down. Whatever number she finishes on, the next person who wants it is going to need a very long runway.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Records as reported by the Associated Press and the Indiana Fever.