When the Indiana Fever stepped on the hardwood for the 2024 WNBA season, they had a difficult task at hand. The franchise for the past two years was going through a slump and had drafted the top picks from the 2023 and 2024 drafts – Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. Plus, their head coach Christie Sides was relatively new to the position as she was roped in 2023. All this looked like arduous work but not for Clark, who took it in her competitive stride as a challenge.

And when the 22-year-old joined hands with Kelsey Mitchell, the two formed one of the best guard pairs in the backcourt that has helped Indiana be in the competition for making it to the playoffs, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2016. Even so, a lot of fans opine that it’s too early to label them as the best especially since they have tough competition from the seasoned Seattle Storm guards Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Today, EssentiallySports takes a deep dive into Caitlin Clark and Mitchell’s game to see if they are the best.

Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell’s playing ability

The Indiana Fever had a shaky start to this season losing their first five games. Then in late May, Sides discovered the Mitchell-Clark pair and gave them the onus to handle the Los Angeles Sparks. The result you ask? Well, Mitchell top-scored for her team with 18 points whereas Clark helped her squad with 10 rebounds and 8 assists. All this culminated in the Fever winning their first WNBA game this season.

From the next game onwards, Sides made sure that the winning combination of Mitchell and Caitlin Clark got the deserved time on the court. However, while Clark consistently proved her mettle with her assists, the top scorer would alternate between Mitchell and Boston. Though the Fever had cracked the secret to success for the season, Sides looked confused between giving Clark and Mitchell the scoring shots all the time.

So when the Olympics break took place, the Fever went into their huddle and chalked out their strategy. From that point onwards, there has been a shift in their performances. Out of the seven games they have played so far after the W’s return, the Fever has won six of them, and credit for it is being given to Mitchell and Clark.

The Fever has given additional responsibilities to Clark and Mitchell in their offensive game. While Mitchell has scored a whopping average of 26.7 points per game, Clark has hit 25.1 points per game. To add to it, their defense has also been quite reliable with Clark collecting 5 rebounds per game and Mitchell rebounding 4.3 boards per game. Clark additionally has her exceptional 9.4 assists per game, a stat that has proven her versatility while alternating between the alpha role and that of a second fiddle. But then, the duo in their quest to be the best are faced with some strong pairs especially that of Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith of the Seattle Storm.

How have their competitors played?

The Storm occupy the fifth place in the W standings this season particularly due to a decent effort from Loyd and Smith. While Loyd averages 20.6 points per game, Smith has contributed with 14.3 points per game. But, the pair falls significantly short in their rebounding and assist-making skills. The duo has only 7.3 rebounds per game and 10.2 assists per game.

Therefore, though Smith and Loyd are creating opportunities, they are limited in their scoring ways. This can be because of the fact that while for the Fever the Mitchell-Clark are the mainstay savers, for the Storm, Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor have also contributed significantly taking some of the pressure off the team.

And especially after the Olympics break, Caitlin Clark and Mitchell average an exceptional 51.3 points per game which is 10 more than any other backcourt duos in the current WNBA. Mitchell has shot 62.5% during tough moments whereas Clark has scored or assisted in 37.3 points per game. Hence, despite coming close to Clark and Mitchell, Smith and Loyd are not able to eclipse them.

Are Clark and Mitchell the best?

While Clark and Mitchell are performing great in this WNBA, it is to be noted that they have switched gears after the Olympics break. It’s a treat for all fans to see their top-notch performances but the question remains if the newly cracked code by Sides will work on all occasions, particularly during the W playoffs.

Plus, if they are to create history, then they will have to take inspiration from Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike from the 2018 WNBA season when they led the Los Angeles Sparks single-handedly to the second round. But, if Clark and Mitchell continue their on-song performances then it looks like they could dominate Sparks’ victory run during the 2018 season.

However, if Sides’ game plan is cracked, then it will be interesting to see what next steps they will take. So, as of now, Clark and Mitchell do look like the best backcourt pair in the current WNBA season and hopefully, they will overcome all the challenges posed to them in the future.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.