The Indiana Fever walked away with a thrilling 114–106 overtime victory on Thursday night. But according to WNBA analyst Rosalina Lee, they probably never should have needed those extra five minutes. As she explains, veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell had a great deal to do with why the game went the distance in the first place.

“Kelsey Mitchell was off her game tonight, missing, doing everything wrong possible,” Lee shared in the postgame analysis video shared on her YouTube channel. “And I hate to say this about Kelsey because she’s always dropping the points. She even dropped 19 tonight, but a lot of things went wrong.

“Kelsey made some integral mistakes. In the fourth quarter, the Indiana Fever were up 98-95 with seven seconds left. All Kelsey needed to do was get the ball, dribble it around, wait to get fouled or whatever, and she dribbled it off her foot, ending up with a turnover. Skylar Diggins sank a three, putting the game into overtime. It had no business going into overtime after blowing a 19-point lead and then blowing a cushiony lead with just a few seconds left in the fourth quarter.”

But beyond just Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever really let this game slip away on multiple occasions.

Fever held a five-point advantage with just 18 seconds remaining in regulation, a lead that should have been unassailable. Yet they gave it back. That was capped by Kelsey Mitchell‘s turnover that gave Skylar Diggins the opportunity to score three crucial points and drag the game into overtime. 

The late collapse also continued a troubling trend for Indiana. The Fever have now watched double-digit leads disappear in three straight games, forcing them into late-game battles after appearing to be in control. Following Thursday’s win, Caitlin Clark acknowledged that protecting leads remains an area the team must improve.

“A win’s a win, so we’ll take it,” Clark said. “As long as you can get out of here with that … For us, still the areas for us to grow are once we have somebody put it that way, like keep it that way, and obviously game execution needs to be better.”

What ultimately saved the day was brilliance of the highest order from Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The two combined for 13 of Indiana’s 16 total points in overtime. They simply refused to let the game slip away a second time. And in doing so, they made history. Both finished with 30-point double-doubles to become the first pair of teammates in WNBA history to achieve that feat in the same game. Specifically, Caitlin Clark finished with 32 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. And Boston delivered a career-high 34 points alongside 12 rebounds. 

Boston later pointed to turnovers and defensive breakdowns as key reasons Indiana repeatedly allowed Chicago back into the game.

Ultimately, the only number that truly counts is the final score, and the Fever got the result. They now move to 7-5 on the season and will turn their attention to the Connecticut Sun next.

Caitlin Clark Credits Off-Court Bond for Special Connection With Aliyah Boston

In total, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston actually combined for 66 points in their Chicago Sky victory. With the connection the two have shown so far, they have developed into one of the most dangerous duos in the WNBA.

Speaking during the postgame press conference, Clark credited much of that on-court chemistry to the relationship they have built away from basketball. “I mean, I think we’re good friends. Like, that always helps. You can be teammates and play basketball, but if you really care for each other and love each other off the court… that helps,” Clark said. According to Clark, that friendship has helped create a stronger understanding between them whenever they step on the floor together.

In fact, Clark believes their connection has become so natural that it almost feels like they can anticipate each other’s movements without thinking. “I feel like I always know where Aaliyah is. I think we got a little telepathy now. So, uh, hopefully we get that going more, too,” she said.

For Clark, that same principle applies to the rest of the Fever roster as well. “I think that goes for our whole team. When you have that bond and you truly get to know somebody and build a relationship with them, like that helps when you’re on the court,” Clark explained. It’s a mindset she believes can help the Fever continue building chemistry and navigating challenges together throughout the season.