Ohio State Professional Athletes

Mitchell Is in Rarified Air

Kelsey Mitchell is doing something that has never been done in WNBA history — and Ohio State fans should be paying very close attention.

The Indiana Fever guard dropped 30 points on the Chicago Sky on August 23rd, then came back five days later and scorched the Connecticut Sun for 34 points (adding 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a +14 plus-minus) in a dominant 111-91 Fever victory. That performance extended what CBS Sports has called one of the greatest scoring seasons in WNBA history, with Mitchell having now recorded 23 games with 20 or more points in a single season — a mark that drew a one-word reaction from teammate Aliyah Boston: pure awe.

The sustained efficiency and volume are what separate Mitchell's 2026 campaign from mere hot streaks. This isn't a player catching fire for a week; it's a methodical dismantling of the record books over the course of a full season.

A Historic Duo

Mitchell isn't doing it alone — she's doing it alongside Caitlin Clark in what Fever head coach Stephanie White has compared to some of basketball's most celebrated backcourt pairings. Against the Sky on August 23rd, the two combined for 67 points, accomplishing something no WNBA duo has ever done three times in a single season. Then against the Sun on August 28th, Clark and Mitchell recorded their fourth combined 30-point game together — surpassing the previous WNBA record of two such games in a season, held by former MVP A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young.

Clark is averaging 22.1 points and 8.3 assists. Mitchell is the league's premier volume scorer. The Fever have clinched a playoff spot, and their backcourt is the engine.

The MVP Conversation Nobody Can Resolve

The problem with having two all-time scorers on the same team? The award voters only hand out one MVP. Fever teammates are split — or rather, unwilling to split. Guard Ty Harris floated the idea of a shared Co-MVP trophy. Aliyah Boston said both cases are "clear as day." Lexie Hull has praised both candidates without picking a side.

Outside Indiana, the debate is louder. NBC Sports analyst Natalie Esquire argued the attention on Clark and Mitchell overlooks the Minnesota Lynx's dominance. A former Fever guard backed A'ja Wilson, citing what she called "greatness fatigue" around the Fever's stars. Meanwhile, WNBA oddsmakers have two players ranked ahead of both Clark and Mitchell — a ranking Aliyah Boston openly dismissed.

Mitchell's case is straightforward: historically rare scoring volume, elite efficiency, and a +28 plus-minus in a 23-point blowout of Chicago. Whether voters reward the record-breaker or the team narrative will define the award cycle.

The Rest of the Buckeyes

Elsewhere around the league, Cotie McMahon (Mystics) had her best week of the period on August 23rd, logging 13 points and 4 assists in Washington's narrow win over the Fire. Chance Gray (Sparks) contributed 5 points and a +5 plus-minus in L.A.'s win over the Sun on August 23rd. Taylor Thierry (Storm) logged assists in both of her appearances but Seattle dropped both games.

Mitchell, though, is the story — not just for Ohio State, but for the entire league.

The Record Is Hers

Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell just did something no WNBA player has ever done before — and she did it in a loss.

In Indiana's 91-85 defeat to the Dallas Wings on Friday, August 21, Mitchell dropped a game-high 37 points to extend her streak of consecutive 20-point games to 21, snapping a tie with Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson, who had set the previous record across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Indiana Fever made it official during the game itself: Mitchell is now the sole owner of the most extraordinary sustained scoring run in WNBA history.

She then kept it going. On Saturday, August 22, Mitchell put up 25 points in a 109-102 loss to the Liberty, keeping the streak alive heading into next week.

A Week That Began in Drama

Mitchell's historic week nearly had an unsettling subplot. On Tuesday, August 18, she scorched the Toronto Tempo for 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting across three quarters — then disappeared to the locker room in the fourth. Fever head coach Stephanie White later revealed Mitchell had become "overheated," though the team offered an encouraging update on her condition. Mitchell did not return in Indiana's 101-95 win, but her 29 points still counted as game 20 of the streak. The Fever went on to win anyway, with Caitlin Clark contributing 24 points and seven assists.

Three days later, any health concerns were put to rest. Mitchell was back at full force, dropping 37 on Dallas — the kind of performance that makes the MVP debate feel less like a debate and more like a formality.

The MVP Case Is Real

It's no longer a fringe argument. Multiple analysts and outlets are now treating Mitchell as a genuine MVP candidate alongside — and in direct competition with — her own teammate, Caitlin Clark. WNBA analyst Sabreena Merchant noted it's "hard to distinguish" between the two, while FanSided made the explicit case that Mitchell deserves to be in the conversation as much as Clark. Yahoo Sports went further, calling Indiana's duo the second- and third-leading scorers in the league and giving the Fever a legitimate shot at the WNBA title.

Clark herself has been among the loudest to amplify Mitchell's moment, publicly celebrating the record-breaking streak on social media and after games. Former WNBA All-Stars and commentators, including Robert Griffin III, have called the Clark-Mitchell pairing the "best duo in the WNBA" and "the hottest offense the league has ever seen."

The Rest of the Buckeye Roster

Mitchell was far from the only Ohio State alum active this week. Chance Gray of the Los Angeles Sparks posted 8 points in a rough Friday loss to the Dream (88-124) after a quieter 4-point showing against the Sun on Tuesday. Cotie McMahon of the Washington Mystics contributed a modest 6 points and 2 rebounds in a Friday loss to Minnesota, but showed better efficiency midweek with 4 rebounds and a plus-2 in a Mystics win over the Tempo. Taylor Thierry of the Seattle Storm saw action in Sunday's narrow 82-80 home loss to the Sky.

None of it moves the needle much compared to what Mitchell is doing in Indianapolis — but the Buckeye footprint across the WNBA is real and growing.

The record belongs to Ohio State now. How far Mitchell extends it is the most compelling individual story in the league.

The Mitchell Show

Kelsey Mitchell is doing something no one in WNBA history has done quite like this — and her Ohio State pedigree is front and center.

The Indiana Fever guard extended her streak of consecutive 20-point games to 17 this week, dropping 28 points on the New York Liberty in a 106-92 Fever win on Tuesday before adding 23 more in a 98-87 win over the Dallas Wings on Friday. The Liberty performance was a first-half clinic — Mitchell scored 20 of her 28 before halftime, leaving New York's defense scrambling and flat-footed.

The numbers are remarkable enough. The company she's keeping is making it a cultural moment. Caitlin Clark — the most scrutinized player in women's basketball — flat-out called Mitchell the WNBA's best scorer this week, a declaration that immediately ignited the league's already feverish MVP debate. Fever center Aliyah Boston went further, stating at a Thursday media availability that Mitchell is "really just the MVP," a comment that sent fans and pundits into a spiral. Robert Griffin III weighed in on Clark's behalf. Skip Bayless critiqued Boston's framing. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on which Fever star deserves the award — which is exactly the kind of argument that surrounds only the very best players in a league.

Together, Clark and Mitchell combined for 50 points against the Liberty and 53 in a separate win over the Sky, joining an exclusive WNBA list of backcourt duos to reach those combined totals in multiple games. Indiana looks like a near-lock for the playoffs, and this two-headed attack is the reason why.

Off the court, Mitchell used the week's media spotlight to defend her teammate and deflect noise. She pushed back against what she called excessive scrutiny of Clark, saying the Fever star has spent too much of her career being unfairly judged. The two have built something that goes beyond on-court chemistry.

There was one off-note in an otherwise triumphant week: Mitchell and Boston both publicly expressed disappointment after Fever fans booed head coach Stephanie White during her introduction at Tuesday's home game. The controversy stems from fan frustration over White's perceived lack of support for guard Sophie Cunningham after a hard foul. Mitchell stood firmly with her coach.

The Rest of the Buckeye Contingent

Elsewhere in the WNBA, Ohio State's alumni had a quieter week. Cotie McMahon (Washington Mystics) was the most active of the bunch, logging a season-best 13 points in Sunday's win over the Mercury and following it with 7 points and 9 rebounds against the Sparks on Saturday — her most complete rebounding game of the stretch. Chance Gray (Los Angeles Sparks) went scoreless in Sunday's loss to the Valkyries, then posted single-digit scoring lines of 4 and 6 points in losses to the Mercury and Liberty, respectively, with a rough plus/minus of -13 in the Friday game. Taylor Thierry (Seattle Storm) chipped in 7 points, 6 rebounds, and a +12 in Tuesday's Storm win over the Sky, though Seattle dropped its Saturday game against the Fire.

None of it moved the needle the way Mitchell did. This week belonged to the Buckeye who's making WNBA history one 20-point game at a time.

Kelsey Mitchell is having the kind of month that forces the basketball world to stop and pay attention — and Ohio State fans have front-row seats to history.

The Indiana Fever guard capped the week by scoring 27 points against the Chicago Sky on Saturday, setting a WNBA single-season record with her 16th consecutive game of 20-plus points. The mark moves her past Diana Taurasi on one of the league's most exclusive scoring lists and cements Mitchell as the defining offensive story of the 2026 WNBA season. Indiana won that game 90-86, with Mitchell posting a +12 plus-minus alongside 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

It was the latest chapter in a stretch that has been nothing short of relentless.

Mitchell's Record Run

The week opened on Sunday with Mitchell dropping 37 points on the Minnesota Lynx — a performance that, per The Sporting News, moved her past Taurasi on the WNBA's all-time single-season scoring streak list. The Fever fell 108-100 in that one, but Mitchell's individual brilliance was undeniable. She followed that up with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting Thursday against the Las Vegas Aces — a narrow 86-84 overtime loss — before sealing the record Saturday against Chicago.

The WNBA recognized her dominance before the record-setter even arrived: Mitchell was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for July, an award the league announced midweek alongside teammate Caitlin Clark earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. The Fever, sitting at 19-11 and atop the Eastern Conference, have become a two-headed monster — and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith sparked debate this week by arguing Mitchell, not Clark, is currently the team's best player.

One shadow over Mitchell's remarkable run: she was notably left off Team USA's 12-player roster for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany. Averaging 24.0 points, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game on 50.2% shooting, the snub drew pointed criticism from analysts and fans alike. One WNBA analyst called it "the hardest for me to understand." For now, Mitchell is channeling whatever fuel she needs directly into the record books.

McMahon Fuels a Mystics Comeback

Cotie McMahon had a strong week of her own in Washington. The Mystics rookie was a key contributor in the team's stunning 96-92 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, erasing a 20-point deficit for their fifth straight victory. McMahon finished with a season-high 18 points — 10 of them in the fourth quarter — including a three-point play that gave Washington its first lead of the game with three minutes left. She followed up Friday with 11 points and 5 rebounds in a 79-74 win over the Dream.

Gray Flashes Potential in L.A.

Chance Gray's stat lines were modest — 6 points Sunday against the Fire, 2 points Friday against the Lynx — but the Sparks guard registered a +8 plus-minus in that Friday win (89-82), a sign she's contributing on both ends even when the scoring isn't flowing. She also dished 4 assists in Thursday's loss to the Sky.

Mitchell's record week is the obvious headline, but McMahon's clutch performances add another Ohio State thread worth tracking as the WNBA playoff race heats up.