Kelsey Mitchell Sets WNBA Scoring Record as Fever Defeat Tempo

TORONTO — The World Cup pause ended. Kelsey Mitchell picked up right where she left off — and then some.

Mitchell poured in 33 points to set the WNBA single-season scoring record, Caitlin Clark stacked up 28 points and 14 assists, and the surging Indiana Fever overpowered the fading Toronto Tempo 103–85 on Friday night for their eighth win in 10 games.

The record fell in the third quarter, fittingly from deep. Mitchell rose up on the wing and buried a 3-pointer that pushed her past the 1,021 points A’ja Wilson scored for Las Vegas in 2024. By the final buzzer, Mitchell sat at 1,034 points on the season, the new standard for offensive firepower.

She did it with ruthless efficiency. Mitchell went 12-for-17 from the field and 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, carving up Toronto’s defense and stretching the floor to breaking point. The 33 points also extended her own WNBA record of consecutive 20-point games to 25, a streak that now feels less like a run of form and more like a way of life.

Clark returns from World Cup, dominates the stage

If Mitchell provided the fireworks, Clark controlled the game’s tempo.

Back in WNBA action for the first time since helping the United States win the women’s FIBA World Cup in Germany, Clark looked sharp, composed, and utterly in charge. She finished with 28 points on 7-for-15 shooting, added 14 assists to match her season high, and knocked down all 12 of her free throws.

Her outside shot wasn’t at its deadliest — 2-for-8 from 3-point range — but it hardly mattered. Clark repeatedly punished Toronto off the dribble, drew contact, and kept the scoreboard moving from the line. Every time the Tempo tried to claw back, she answered with a probing pass or a timely drive.

It was the second time this season Clark has handed out 14 assists against Toronto, having done the same in a home win on June 16. Different arena, same script: the rookie guard bending an entire defense to her vision.

Tempo’s slide continues

For Toronto, the night fit a grim pattern.

Laura Juskaite led the Tempo with 22 points, showing touch and toughness in an effort to keep the game competitive. Kiki Rice added 18, while Isabelle Harrison and Temi Fagbenle chipped in 16 apiece. The starting group found pockets of rhythm, but not enough resistance.

The loss was Toronto’s fifth straight and another reminder of how dramatically their inaugural season has turned. A promising 9–9 start has given way to a 2–21 spiral since, a collapse that has stripped away the early optimism around the expansion side.

They were also shorthanded. Guard Marina Mabrey remained out with a right adductor injury that will sideline her for the final four games of the season. She hasn’t played since a home loss to Indiana on Aug. 18, and her absence again loomed large over a team searching for stability in the backcourt.

On this night, the sellout crowd at least had a few star turns to enjoy. Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley took in the game from the stands, watching as another backcourt stole the show on his home floor.

What’s next

Indiana, now gathering real momentum after the World Cup break, heads home to host Washington on Sunday, a matchup that offers Mitchell and Clark another stage in front of a fan base growing louder by the week.

Toronto will close its home schedule the same day against New York, trying to halt a freefall before the final chapter of their first WNBA season is written.