Fever's dynamic backcourt, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, keeps Indiana on record-chasing pace

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White spent most of her past 27 years working in the WNBA.

She's rarely seen a backcourt as good as All-Star guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

On Friday, the dynamic duo did it again — each topping the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season to extend their own league record as the Fever rallied from a 14-point, first-quarter deficit to run away from the Connecticut Sun 111-91.

Clark and Mitchell each scored 34, with Mitchell extending her WNBA record for consecutive 20-point games to 24 while Clark added 12 assists for her fifth 30-10 double-double this season and the sixth of her career.

“The only one I can think of is DT (Diana Taurasi) and Cappie (Poindexter)," White said when asked to compare the top backcourts she's seen. “I mean, you think back to those Phoenix days, they were a dynamic backcourt that could both up big numbers, could both get their own shot, could get other people involved. But it's been a long time since we've seen the explosiveness of two players like Kelsey and Caitlin."

How well have they been playing?

Well, with four games left in the regular season following the three-week FIBA Women's World Cup break, the Fever are averaging 97.0 points per game — well ahead of Phoenix's single season record of 93.9 in 2010.

And Clark started this week with as many 30-10 double-doubles as the rest of the entire league. She passed Sue Bird for third on the WNBA’s career list for points-assists double-doubles with No. 29 on Sunday in Chicago and added No. 30 on Friday after a four-day break.

Forward Makayla Thompson called Clark Indiana's “gold.”

Clark insists it's not the stat lines that motivate her. Winning does and with seven wins in their last nine games to move into fourth place, Clark should have something to smile about in Berlin.

“I mean, I don’t really care about the stats,” she said. “I think when I’m flowing and playing, that’s kind of what follows and I feel like that’s kind of how I’ve been over the last couple games. Obviously, you’re not going to have 30-plus, 10-plus every single night, but when you’re able to do that, it just allows the team to get going in a different way and, you know, making shots and getting people open, that’s contagious.”

Whatever Clark's done, Mitchell has caught the milestone-setting Fever, too.

With four assists against the reeling Sun, she passed current assistant coach Briann January for second on Indiana's career list. Mitchell now has 911, two more than January and only behind Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.

Mitchell also extended her league record for consecutive 20-point games to 24 and she moved within 21 points of breaking A'ja Wilson's single season scoring record of 1,021 set last season. Mitchell now has 1,001 with four games remaining when play resumes Sept. 18 at Toronto.

For White, it's been a joy to watch.

"You watch her, and I think it's easy to take for granted some of the things she does. I think oftentimes is is with great players,” White said, referring to Clark. “I think players are great because they make the complex things look really simple, and when she's in a flow like this where she's able to score, she's playing at a pace we want her to play at, she's moving the ball side to side, it's really fun to watch and sometimes you can get caught up in it on the sideline, just watching. So it's just really special what she's doing.”

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Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) dribbles the ball down court during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

Connecticut Sun forward Raegan Beers (15) fouls Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots the ball over Connecticut Sun forward Nell Angloma (33) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

Connecticut Sun guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (4) shoots the ball over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

Connecticut Sun guard Shey Peddy (5) shoots the ball in front of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered, left fielder Cody Bellinger threw out the potential tying run at home plate to end the seventh inning and the New York Yankees edged the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Friday night in the opener of a pivotal four-game series.

Cam Schlittler (12-6) shut down his hometown team again, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander from Massachusetts overcame five walks, which matched a career high, as the Red Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall.

They also cost themselves with a terrible baserunning blunder by Ceddanne Rafaela, who got doubled off first as the trail runner when Wilyer Abreu lined out to center field — ending the fifth with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck.

New York remained four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston in the race for the top American League wild card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the longtime rivals.

Such a matchup would be a reprisal of last year, when Schlittler pitched a Game 3 gem as a rookie to send the Yankees on. Schlittler, who surpassed 200 strikeouts this season and leads the AL with a 2.09 ERA, is 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over five career starts against Boston — including the postseason.

In a nip-and-tuck game with a playoff feel, Boston put runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Rafaela singled and Abreu doubled on the first two pitches from reliever Paul Blackburn.

Contreras lofted a fly to left and Bellinger cut down Rafaela at the plate with a 99.7 mph throw.

Blackburn worked a 1-2-3 eighth and David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save.

With the Yankees facing a left-handed starter for the first time since Aug. 8 (excluding openers), Goldschmidt batted leadoff and launched a 430-foot homer to left off hard-luck loser Patrick Sandoval (1-3) in the third.

A day-night doubleheader Saturday to make up a June 6 rainout. Max Fried (4-4, 2.81 ERA) will come off the injured list to start the second game for the Yankees, with fellow left-hander Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.15) taking the ball in Game 1. Rookie LHP Jake Bennett (8-6, 3.49) pitches the opener for the Red Sox, who had not announced a Game 2 starter.

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Boston Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela is tagged out by New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells at home plate on a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Boston Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela is tagged out by New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells at home plate on a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Yankees right fielder Spencer Jones, left fielder Cody Bellinger, and center fielder Trent Grisham, right to left, celebrate with teammates after winning a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)