Staring disaster in the face, Fever find a way as Kelsey Mitchell saves the day vs. Sun

Indianapolis Star

a day ago

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Indiana Fever delivered perhaps their most-improbable win of the season Sunday, rallying from 21 down to defeat the Connecticut Sun, 99-93, in overtime.
It was a game the sputtering, short-handed Fever absolutely had to have and with their backs against the wall they found a way.
Fever vs Sun stats, box score: Indiana digs out of 21-point hole to get OT win
Here are a few observations.
Kelsey Mitchell matched her career-high with 38 points on 11-of-22 shooting with five 3s and 11 free throws.
She hit the 3-pointer that reinvigorated the Fever and started the 13-2 run that drew them within three with 3:47 left.
She delivered the game-tying three-point play in the final minute of regulation on a driving layup that looked strikingly similar to the shot she missed Friday against Washington.
And then in overtime, she hit the go-ahead, step-back 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, then drove home a pair of daggers — the first another 3-pointer in response to a Sun bucket, then a circus 2 that kept the opposition at an arm's length.
What a performance by the vet, who absolutely deserves a place in the MVP conversation.
The Fever — already in the throes of an injury-riddled two-week stretch — watched another key player go down with a knee injury early in the second quarter and trailed by 21 early in the third quarter. It was a culmination of unfortunate events that could have, maybe even should have, broken them.
But if we've learned anything about this group, it's to never count them out.
Down 74-60 with 6:25 remaining, the Fever parlayed a 3-pointer from Mitchell, plus two more from Lexie Hull into a 13-2 run that cut the margin to three with 3:47 left. The teams traded blows into the final minute, when Mitchell answered a circus 3-pointer by Marina Mabrey with a three-point play to tie at 82 with 44.7 seconds left.
Unbelievable. Truly.
This is truly ridiculous. I mean seriously, how many punches can one team take?
Already down three point guards — Caitlin Clark (right groin), Aari McDonald (foot) and Sydney Colson (ACL) — the Fever lost another key contributor in the second quarter when Sun guard Bria Hartley fell into the side of Sophie Cunningham's right leg underneath the Connecticut basket. Cunningham fell to the floor and grabbed her knee, yelling in pain as trainers, coaches and teammates gathered around her. She was helped off the floor and did not return.
The Fever confirmed it as a right knee injury, though the full extent likely will not be known until after the team returns to Indy.
The injury to Cunningham cast a pall on what was already trending to a really bad day at the office for the Fever, who dug themselves an 11-4 deficit through the first few minutes. They finished the opening frame with eight turnovers, just five field goals made (none from 3) and nine free-throw attempts allowed.
Indiana looked disjointed and uncharacteristically flat — an inverse from those losses to Dallas and Washington.
It also did not help that Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard and Damiris Dantas all picked up two early fouls.
The Fever made their push at the end of the third quarter, launching a 9-2 run that drew them within eight with a minute remaining.
Leïla Lacan stifled the run and stabilized the Sun with a long-range 3 at the buzzer.