Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell lead Indiana Fever to 100-81 win over Chicago

Intro they down 13 in the middle of that first quarter what flip the switch for this group and we'll get you guys going in the second quarter I think our defense got a lot better especially in CC: "I think minus the first 6 minutes we were really, really good." transition um and honestly like they just made some threes on us and you know we just kind of pushed through that that part of the game and I thought minus the first six minutes we were really really good um I don't know what they scored at end I think I had 21 at that point when we called timeout and then after that I thought we played pretty good defense so I'm proud of nobody panicked um we kind of just settled in into the game but we definitely need to get off to a better start kelse see this offense almost seems frantic at times watching it from a distance but you all seem to find the focus when the shots start to go how does that Dynamic work that like it's just a level 12 but you all maintain it Kelsey about the team's established chemistry uh I think it's a a matter of our chemistry um we've really taken time as teammates to really get to know each other on and off the on and off the court and I think it serves to what you see now and I think even though it might look a different way to you we've already established what chemistry is and how we want to play and I think um for us we got a unbelievable chemistry now to where it's unspoken and so you get to see it even if you don't understand it trust me we get it we we understand Kaitlyn you seem to be having a very fun time at the end of that game can you describe kind of your feelings that the great shooting great assists the numbers and and just the acceleration The Joint whatever you were feeling honestly like I felt like it was CC said the Fever's performance tonight was smooth. like just a smooth game for us like I just felt like we were flowing well out there like it just felt like pretty basketball like and sometimes I think as a basketball player like you can just feel it um I thought that's what we' had like I said minus the first six minutes I thought we played really well and you know this was a big one for us it almost counts towards two when you're in the playoff race of like a loss and a win so um we knew it was a big one but also like we wanted to win the season series with them um that was kind of a focus point and the last time we were here we were up 15 in the fourth quarter and kind of you know fumbled it away so I thought it was another opportunity for us to come in here and show what we're about and I thought we were really good and um honest like I just had a lot of fun playing like I thought we played with a lot of joy we played at uptempo we shared the ball well um I thought tamy was really good especially defensively when she came into and um that was fun for me to see you mentioned the playoffs this moves you guys up to six how important is that especially knowing the stretch that you have coming up I you only have three games against yeah I CC about the Fever's moving to 6th in the WNBA standings mean I think you can't really look at a team's record at this point in the year I think um you're seeing teams play really well like I think I just heard the wings beat the links the other night the Sparks beat the Liberty like it doesn't really matter A team's record at this point everybody's fighting for something and fighting for a playoff birth fighting for seating or positioning so it doesn't really matter you better come into every single game um with the mentality of to win and I think our group has done a really good job of taking it one game at a time and um it's honestly impressive how we started the season and now sitting at sixth place with eight games remaining nine games remaining whatever it is um um but you know you have to continue to execute down the stretch and lucky for us we have quite a few of those at home and we've been playing really well at home so using that to our advantage will be important as well when you guys like you said you started the season you have Fai you would get to this point you know maybe after you guys play together and you had three yeah I mean I certainly Despite the Fever's poor record to start the season, CC said she had faith the Fever would turn it around and start winning. did I think I remember saying early in the season like I know there's going to be a moment where we look back on this in the season later in the season and be like you know this one and eight start is like going to help us somewhere down the line and I think this is now that moment um did it stink absolutely like it was not fun um you know I was I was frustrated or everybody was frustrated um you know fans were probably frustrated but at the same time like we have a young group we're trying to learn we're trying to figure out and it's a tough transition you know coming from college and then trying to come in here and lead a professional basketball team and be their point guard so um I'm just really thankful for my teammates that like just stuck with me and you know have helped make the transition easy and learning one another and I think once we've really figured it out it's been a lot of fun for everybody on this team um Kelsey this is the first time you guys have been 500 since started 2 and two in 2022 just for you what does it mean to kind of be part of this rebuild and kind of see it these past couple years uh Kelsey about the Fever's reaching .500 for the first time since 2022 (2-2). kind of give yourself some Grace about you know where I started as a as a player and where the F organization was and where it is now um you go to appreciate you know the evolution of the game um the players that came in it people like C squ even like you know this group that draft class that came out you know they've taken really good leaps at making teams better and I think C square has done that for us and I think now it's about focused on taking it to the next step and I look forward to that Journey so sorry to go off that if the message against Connecticut was that you guys weren't going to be bullied Wen pushed around what was the message tonight I mean just to come in here by 20 points the way you uh obviously keep the main thing the main Kelsey comments about maintaining focus in the game. thing U we knew that uh Chicago had a lot of like up and down as far as you know they roster and who was planning who wasn't that thing for us it was about keeping the main thing to main thing and stay focused on that and this game was about rebounding um you know we all kind of like said it and I think we had that Focus especially with players like Angel and so get them off the glass and then run and so I think that Focus kind of maintained throughout the course of the 40 minutes today it seems in this stretch any combination of five you all have out there you got five scores what's the just the confidence you have in everybody right now put them in the hand points are going to be there yeah I CC comments on Indiana's flexibility on offense with scoring threats at all 5 positions think it we're just tough to guard especially like you know especially when we just playing transition like we're just playing pretty basketball playing fluid basketball we're playing off one another we're just reading each other and that's not something other team can like Scout for like you don't know what we're going to do we don't know what we're going to do it just happens it's just basketball like that's the best way to play basketball like be a basketball player make reads play off your teammates set them up for Success um and I think we do a really good job of finding each other in positions where we know they can be successful um I'm pretty sure we had a high assist number on High made field goals tonight and I think that just shows you know we're making the next pass to get our teammates a good shot and taking the right shots the other that you're talking about how much C you s you the veteran presents but specifically on the court how do you think she's help you the most on the floor off the floor on the floor on the floor yeah um I mean I CC says Kelsey has helped her off and on the floor and the fun she's having playing with Kelsey think it's pretty similar on and off the floor like she's just been a voice that's been there she's been through this league for what seven years now like she knows what to expect she knows how things are going to go um and I think more than anything like we are just starting to understand each other much better like we can just make eye contact and she knows to go back door she knows to come to get the ball like that just comes with playing with one another so um it's been a lot of fun for me I mean she's she's playing so well right now just as good as anybody in this in this league so I feel very lucky and fortunate to to have her by my side confident is this team right now coming in hot CC says she and her teammates are playing with a lot of confidence wow opening the door I mean I feel like we're confident but that's like that's any team in this league when you're able to stack some wins like that's everything right right and I think coming out of the break we start with two big wins at home versus Phoenix and and uh Seattle and then we go on the road and we drop one but then we knew Atlanta was a huge game for us and I thought we played really well there so um I'm just proud of our group I think we're really just approaching it day by day even though like you know these kings are so important we're not we're not really looking that far down the stretch of what's at the end of September what's in the middle of September it's what's in front of us today and just approaching it like that and um that's how you build your confidence it's just one day at a time but I think our confidence is you know at an all-time high where it's been this all season going back to the offense you guys have had the best offensive RA in the league since mid June is that something that you guys envisioned like was possible or I mean during that losing the beginning season maybe not but I me just like to reach that height to be able to say you know you guys are the hottest offense right now yeah for Kelsey comments on the improvements in the Fever's offense took time to develop sure I think that I think that I think that people F to real that basketball is something that takes time you don't just come in you get it right off the B I don't know what people expect I'm not going to hop in their brain and figure out what they expect but this stuff takes time and I think that to see good basketball and see a manifest into what you see now it took time you know you gotta give yourself some Grace that's why I always tell our team like give yourself some flowers right now because we could have been a lot worse and to see where we are now I think the star's theem for us and I think our offense and what you see and our Fierce competitiveness it's just kind of in our DNA and we want to kind of like stay like that you know we want to do the right thing the right time all all the time now sometimes but want do it right all the time and that's what you're seeing last one man yeah the end of the rare is that you pointing up to the CC on her having fun with a Chicago Sky fan and her "air ball" in the 4th quarter scoreboard I think it was a fan I was just having fun with the fan nothing to do I Love's awesome um but yeah I mean I just launched one for fun it was kind of a bomb it was a good airball had to get a good airball in there you guys pray for me