INDIANAPOLIS – Kelsey Mitchell’s 35th career game finishing with at least 20 points was enough for the Indiana Fever to secure its first win of the 2022 campaign, 82-76, against the Minnesota Lynx at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Despite being held scoreless in the first quarter, Mitchell responded with a 13-point second quarter of her own to ignite Indiana to a franchise record for the most points in a second quarter with 36 to take the lead into the locker room.
The fifth-year guard ended the game with 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including a 4-of-7 clip from beyond the arc. Mitchell also became the fourth player in franchise history to surpass at least 1,900 points while with the franchise.
In her third game with Indiana, former Minnesota Lynx guard Crystal Dangerfield led the Fever bench with 10 points and a team-high six assists in her first game against her former team.
Alanna Smith was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in her career and finished with nine points, five rebounds and two steals. NaLyssa Smith and Victoria Vivians each also nine points to keep Minnesota winless to begin the new season.
Per Across The Timeline, Queen Egbo came off the bench while working her way back from a left ankle injury to become the sixth rookie in WNBA history to finish a game with at least eight rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots.
Destanni Henderson added eight points and dished out five assists. After Henderson’s first three games in the WNBA, she has compiled 13 assists, while only committing four turnovers.
For Minnesota, center Sylvia Fowles tallied a new season-high 26 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Jessica Shepard was one assist shy of recording a triple-double, while Rachel Banham added 14 points off the bench
UP NEXT
The Fever travel to face the New York Liberty on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Friday’s game will be streamed on the official Indiana Fever Facebook page in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.