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Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever’s hot run continued in Toronto, recording their 24th win of the season and fifth in a row. While the Fever rose to the challenge as a team, WNBA analyst Robin Lundberg showed no soft corner for rookie Raven Johnson.

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In a high-scoring game on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Fever starters showed up and proved why they were the best offensive team in the league. Four players scored in double digits, and no player went scoreless except Johnson, prompting Lundberg to make a wild request to the head coach, Stephanie White.

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“Raven Johnson minus six and three minutes. She’s been a walking run for the other team every time she steps on the floor. I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to have any minutes in any game that matters at this point,” Lundberg said in his post-game analysis on his YouTube channel.

Johnson entered the game with 2:41 left before halftime. She attempted a 22-footer 3-point shot and missed. This was her fourth consecutive game going scoreless. Lexie Hull substituted for her at the start of the third quarter, and that has been the story for Johnson this season.

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She saw the most action during Fever’s 90-86 win against the Chicago Sky on August 8. Johnson played nine minutes, scoring two points with one rebound, one assist, and a turnover. Despite winning all five games she’s played in so far, Johnson hasn’t spent more than three minutes, with her fewest minutes coming against the August 14 Dallas Wings game, where she played for just one minute.

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Johnson was selected at No. 10 overall out of South Carolina, where she averaged 6.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

She is not a below-average scorer, but playmaking and defense are Johnson’s biggest strengths. Indiana can develop her as a backup point guard to Caitlin Clark. For now, she is a rookie, and the Fever might want to give her time to find a place for herself in White’s lineup.

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However, Johnson’s disappointing performance wasn’t the big story after the Fever came out with their 10th win in the last 12 games. It was Caitlin Clark’s other teammate: Kelsey Mitchell.

Mitchell highlighted Tuesday’s postgame. She scored 29 points in her 20th consecutive game. She tied A’ja Wilson for the longest 20-point streak in WNBA history.

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But she was also in the news for a reason that left Indiana fans concerned.

Kelsey Mitchell leaves game as Caitlin Clark and Co. hold off Toronto to continue winning streak

Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points in just three quarters. Just when it seemed like she would have yet another elite scoring game, she exited the game, leaving the Fever fans concerned.

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Mitchell headed for the bench late in the third quarter. However, at the start of the last period, she left for the locker room and never returned. When HC White was asked about it, she said that the Fever star got overheated.

“It seems like she just got overheated. I mean, this is two games in a row where we played in really, really hot environments, so all indications right now is that she was just overheated,” White said at the post-game press conference.

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The Fever have played back-to-back games in two days on the road. Right before the Tempo, they faced Angel Reese’s Dream Team in Atlanta on Monday, Aug. 17.

Given her injury history, such issues could materialize into a concerning condition for Mitchell. Last year, the Fever star suffered rhabdomyolysis during Game 5 of the Indiana Fever’s semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces. 

“Not that I’m aware of. But I’m not sure,” White told reporters when asked about any concern of rhabdomyolysis.

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High-intensity and hot environments are some of the biggest risk factors for rhabdomyolysis.

The Fever made the right decision by taking Mitchell out of the game. Not only is Mitchell’s health of utmost priority, but the Fever’s chances in the postseason will significantly decline in her absence.

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Nandjee Ranjan

242 Articles

Nandjee Ranjan is a Senior Writer covering the NBA and WNBA at EssentiallySports. He specializes in roster moves and breaking news, with long-term coverage of teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks. His reporting provides a clear context for transactions and outcomes. One of his stories earned a special shoutout from a member of Napheesa Collier’s family.

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