Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell sat out the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's 101-95 victory at Toronto after becoming overheated, head coach Stephanie White said.
Mitchell, the second-leading scorer in the Women's National Basketball Association, had scored eight points in under a minute late in the third quarter to reach 29 points for the game before leaving the court. She went directly to the locker room and did not return to the floor at steamy Scotiabank Arena.
"This is two games in a row where we played in really, really hot environments," White said. "All indications are right now that she was just overheated."
The game in Toronto followed another contest played in warm conditions on Sunday, when Mitchell scored 20 points in 36 minutes as Indiana needed overtime to win 95-91 at Atlanta.
Scoring streak and medical history
Mitchell opened Tuesday's game with a prolific first quarter against the Tempo, scoring 16 points. Her 29-point performance marked her 20th consecutive game with at least 20 points, matching Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson for the longest such streak in WNBA history.
Tuesday's exit follows a medical scare last October, when Mitchell was sent to a hospital to receive fluids. She went to the floor with leg cramps during the third quarter of a 107-98 overtime loss to Las Vegas in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA semifinal series.
White stated that she was not aware of any connection between Tuesday's incident in Toronto and last year's hospitalisation.
Mitchell produced an efficient performance from the field before sitting out, shooting 11 for 16 overall, 4 for 6 from 3-point range, and 3 for 3 at the free-throw line.
Head coach praises Mitchell's offensive impact
White highlighted Mitchell's scoring ability and team impact following the victory. "She just can get a shot at any time," White said. "She gets a shot for herself, her gravity creates shots for everybody else."
"It's nice to know that you can give her the ball and let her go to work," White added. "There aren't a lot of players that can just create the kinds of shots that she does."
Mitchell entered Tuesday's game averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game. Wilson leads the WNBA in scoring at 26.1 points per game.
Historic partnership with Caitlin Clark
Guard Caitlin Clark added 24 points on Tuesday during her first visit to Canada as a player. The victory was the fifth straight win for the Indiana Fever and their 10th win in 12 games.
Clark and Mitchell have now scored 20 or more points in the same game 16 times this season, establishing a new WNBA record.
The previous league mark of 15 games with 20 or more points by a scoring duo was set by Phoenix Mercury teammates Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter in 2008.
