Caitlin Clark Is the True X-Factor Behind Fever’s Playoff Success, Reveals Kelsey Mitchell

The Fever hadn’t made the playoffs since 2016. Their last winning season came in 2015, when they finished 20-14 and went to the Finals. It had also been 10 years since they last won a playoff series. The rebuild was slow and steady, and Kelsey Mitchell has been part of it since being drafted in 2018.

Mitchell saw the franchise add pieces like Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston, and together they’ve grown into core players still chasing that championship dream. But as Mitchell admits, the Fever wouldn’t be enjoying this level of success without Caitlin Clark. Since Clark’s arrival, the Fever reached the playoffs in her very first season and became the league’s biggest draw. Her regular-season games averaged 1.2 million viewers–199% higher than games without her in 2024.

Yes, Clark only played 13 times this season as the Fever took on what felt like a mission impossible. But without her, the team never would have attracted stars like Natasha Howard, who’s been a key factor in this playoff run. Clark was the X-factor the Fever needed to push the team to the next level.

Every championship team needs a strong foundation built on chemistry between players, and Clark has proven time and again just how good she is at creating it. Whether it’s the infamous “tres leches,” traveling to every game to support her team from the sidelines instead of resting, or playfully teasing teammates on social media, she’s always connecting with those around her.

Mitchell highlighted Clark’s impact in the same interview: “And I love the teammate in person in her because, you know, she’s accepted it with so much grace and even welcomed us with open arms to make this thing happen. So I think it just took a lot of big pieces to make what it is now.”

Clark helped shape the culture in Indiana, and the young core had a simple message for management this offseason: “Protect our locker room. Protect the culture that we’ve got started.” That culture–of fighting for your teammates until the very end–is precisely why the Fever are still standing, even after five season-ending injuries and losing players like DeWanna Bonner.

In Clark’s absence, Mitchell has been holding the team together. Clark had nothing but praise for her after her record-breaking Game 1 against the Aces in the semifinals.

Caitlin Clark praises Kelsey Mitchell after big win against Aces

It was Mitchell who carried the Fever to a series lead against the Aces, pouring in 34 points on 12-of-23 shooting and hitting four threes along the way. Her performance made history. It became the second-highest scoring game by a Fever player in playoff history and the most points ever scored by a WNBA player in their first career semifinal game.

Caitlin Clark couldn’t stay quiet, taking to X to sum it up in just two words: “Kelsey unreal.” But the Fever knows that the job isn’t done yet. The series has expanded to five games, giving the Aces four more chances to fight back. A’ja Wilson and co will be hungrier than ever to bounce back, and for a team that won 16 straight games to reach the postseason, you can’t count them out after just one game.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Fever approach Game 2, knowing A’ja Wilson won’t shoot 6-of-22 every game. Aliyah Boston did an excellent job guarding her in Game 1–can she repeat it in the next? And can Mitchell keep delivering those big performances? So many questions remain, and only time will answer them all.