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Imago

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Imago

Wednesday night in Champaign had all the makings of a tight Big Ten battle: Illinois vs. No. 19 Ohio State, two young teams, and 4,237 fans packed into State Farm Center. A’ja Wilson was in the building, too. But the No. 22 leaving the crowd speechless wasn’t her.

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Number 22 has become a symbol of offensive firepower in women’s college hoops. Caitlin Clark made it synonymous with long-range chaos at Iowa, and before her, A’ja Wilson redefined what dominance on both ends looked like. Now, a fresh face is ready to add her own chapter to that story.

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Buckeye point guard Jaloni Cambridge kept the No. 22 legacy alive, dropping a career-high 41 points, including 29 in the second half, with 6 rebounds and 6 assists as No. 19 Ohio State beat Illinois 78–69. And in the process, she created quite a few records.

Cambridge’s 41-point outburst marked the most by a Big Ten player since Caitlin Clark scored 41 in the 2024 Elite Eight against the then-defending champion LSU Tigers. Clark would go on to reach the national title game for the second year in a row that season.

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But that wasn’t the only piece of history she touched.

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Cambridge also became the first Buckeye to hit 40 in a game since Kelsey Mitchell did it in 2016. Mitchell went on to the pros after finishing her Ohio State career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 3,402 points, trailing only Kelsey Plum nationally at the time. That record now belongs to her teammate, Caitlin Clark.

It was a night for the record books, and Cambridge will be hoping the hot streak continues.

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She is currently averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, and sits in the top 20 nationally in scoring. If she maintains this form, she could be looking at a future where she heads to the WNBA after dethroning Mitchell as the program’s all-time leading scorer.

Now, speaking of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, will we see them in action together next year?

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Kelsey Mitchell – Caitlin Clark Backcourt Set to Stay in Indiana

Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever delivered one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. With Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham sidelined for the entire postseason, Mitchell still carried the Fever through the first round against the Atlanta Dream and took the eventual champs, the Las Vegas Aces, to five games in the semifinals.

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However, the WNBA’s highest-paid player in 2025 will hit free agency this offseason, and Fever reporter Scott Agness expects Mitchell will take her time weighing her options before making a decision.

Fever general manager Amber Cox has already made it clear that re-signing Mitchell will be the team’s top priority this offseason.

“I’m going to sound like a broken record from last year, the priority will be Kelsey Mitchell, and making sure she remains a Fever,” Cox noted. “I mean, what a season from her. She laid it all out on the line.”

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Mitchell and Clark combined for 19.2 points each during Clark’s rookie season and became the most devastating backcourt of the league that year. While we couldn’t see them work in tandem as much as we would have liked, moving forward, the Fever know the foundation of winning their second championship has to be the duo of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

Clark still has two years left on her rookie deal, but will Mitchell agree to return next season? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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