Kelsey Mitchell has been on an absolute scoring tear since late June. She has scored at least 20 points in 23 consecutive games—a league record—and is showing no signs of slowing down. She reached the 30-point mark in six of those games, and no one has quite figured out how to slow her down. She even scored 20 points on 7-16 shooting from the field against the Golden State Valkyries’ stifling defense.
The sheer scoring numbers and the stretch of games are already impressive, but what makes this tear even more impressive is how she’s getting to those 20+ points. Mitchell’s efficiency has been through the roof as well.
Kelsey Mitchell is one of the most effective scorers in the WNBA
Over the 23-game stretch of scoring at least 20 points, Mitchell only shot below 40% from the field once—the game still resulted in a big win against the Las Vegas Aces, though. She also only shot below 50% from the field in seven of those games, meaning she made at least half of her attempts in 16 games. That’s impressive for a guard who has to battle bigger players and rim protectors in the paint and take at least a couple of 3-pointers every game.
She has also shot it well from long range, knocking down at least 50% of her 3-point attempts in 16 of the 23 games.
Unsurprisingly, Mitchell is averaging career highs in field-goal and 3-point percentage with 51% and 45.5%, respectively.
Mitchell belongs in the MVP conversation
Scorers like Mitchell don’t come around often. In fact, the only player who is averaging more points than Mitchell this season is four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, and there have only been two players who finished the season averaging more points than what Mitchell is putting up so far this season: Wilson in 24 with 26.9 points per game, and Diana Taurasi with 25 in 2006.
Moreover, Mitchell is the most efficient volume 3-point shooter in the W, and the Fever wouldn’t be where they are without her. They are in the playoffs for the third year in a row and have a chance to secure home-court advantage for the first time in those three years and maybe even make it to the finals.
In the end, the MVP race will most likely come down to Wilson, who is still the best player in the world, and rookie phenom Olivia Miles, but Mitchell deserves to be in the broader conversation.
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