The Indiana Fever are scrapping for a playoff spot, but they still find Caitlin Clark on the sidelines. Rocking a 17-13 record, they’re holding strong in the Eastern Conference, eight games behind the New York Liberty.
Even after a tough 100-91 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks recently, coach Stephanie White can’t stop gushing about two players who’ve stepped up huge. The proud coach had cheering words for Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard at a press conference.
Stephanie White Was All Praise For Kelsey Mitchell And Natasha Howard In Caitlin Clark’s Absence
Clark’s groin injury could’ve sunk the team, but Mitchell and Howard have grabbed the wheel and kept things rolling. White’s been hyping them up big time, and it’s no mystery why. In the crunch time for the team, both the vets are keeping the Fever’s playoff hopes alive, and their heart is firing up the whole squad.
“Kelsey has really put us on her back at times from a scoring standpoint. She gets into a rhythm, and we do a good job of finding her… and Tash just does whatever we need. Every single day. It’s like sometimes it’s production. Like, she’s one of the best off-ball cutters in the league. Sometimes it’s rebounding, sometimes it’s defense, sometimes it’s just leadership,” White said (via Twitter/@IndianaFever)
"Kelsey has really put us on her back at times from a scoring standpoint […] Tash just does whatever we need, every single day."
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 6, 2025
Stephanie White speaks on the impact Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard have as leaders on this team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8MUZSsVAXC
As the Fever coach mentioned, Mitchell is straight-up on fire. She’s been lighting up the court with her scoring swagger. The star guard is dropping 20 points a game this season, and against the Sparks, she poured in a team-high 34. She also tied Fever icon Tamika Catchings for the most threes in a season with 10.
Additionally, the Ohio-born star hit the 4,500 career-point mark in that game. Mitchell is currently hitting 40.2% from deep and keeping defenses on their toes.
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Then there’s Natasha Howard, the do-everything forward, in the coach’s words, who’s a beast on both ends. She snagged 17 rebounds against the Sparks, showing off her 6.8 boards and 11.8 points per game average.
Howard’s a paint-protecting, shot-blocking machine with the hustle to match her 2019 and 2022 All-Star status. She’s the glue keeping the Fever tight, like when she dropped 21 points against Seattle. Together, these two are Indiana’s heartbeat.
Fever Coach Getting Good Support From Players In Caitlin Clark’s Absence
Before the Sparks’ loss, the Fever rattled off five straight wins. All of that while there was no Clark on the team roster. With All-Star Aliyah Boston grabbing double-doubles and Sophie Cunningham draining threes, Mitchell and Howard have kept things humming.
White calls Clark’s absence a “hidden blessing,” pushing the team to grow deeper. With the playoffs around the corner, Mitchell’s buckets and Howard’s hustle could be the key. If they keep this energy, especially when Clark’s back, the Fever might just turn heads in the postseason.