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NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Playing the All-Star Game at home creates special feeling for Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever players
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell spent last week tamping down the All-Star excitement. First, she had to play some crucial games. On Friday, she finally had a chance to show how she felt about playing Saturday's game on her home court. Mitchell's eyes opened wide, the trademark grin stretched across her face and the words started flying out of her mouth. 'I feel grateful,' she said. 'I feel happy that my family and friends are able to come. It's close for us because I'm from Cincinnati, so a lot of us get to connect, reconnect through basketball. It's just fun, it's a good experience and I'm grateful, I'm grateful I'm here.' Mitchell is making her third straight All-Star trip, this one just down the street from home, and is joined by two teammates — guard Caitlin Clark and center Aliyah Boston — for the second straight year. Nothing about this is routine, though. Indianapolis is the 13th city to host All-Star weekend, which was played primarily in the New York to Washington corridor during its first decade of existence and has moved West more recently. Last year's game was in Phoenix, and Las Vegas hosted three of the previous five and could be in the mix next summer, too. If things go as well Saturday as they did Thursday and Friday, perhaps Indianapolis will find itself in the regular rotation. Friday night's festivities drew an estimated 15,000 fans to the arena. 'The last time I did the 3-point shootout in Vegas, it didn't feel sold out,' 3-point champion Sabrina Ionescu. 'The last time (Stephen Curry) beat me when we were here in Indy. So really happy to be able to be here and put on a good show.' Most players in town such as Atlanta guard Allisha Gray know 'Hoosiers' both as the Indiana University nickname and as the popular movie title and appreciate playing in a state with so much basketball history. But not everyone has had the same hometown experience for home All-Star Games. 'Playing in front of home fans is definitely fun, though it brings in a mix of everything,' said four-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, who played six seasons with Las Vegas before joining Los Angeles this year. 'At the time, I was in Vegas (where) we had a lot of visitors in town, so it didn't feel super homey. It felt kind of like everyone was cheering for their person.' That's unlikely to be the case Saturday night. While Clark and Boston, the last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, possess more star power, Mitchell is revered locally for her scoring prowess, upbeat personality and resilience. The eight-year veteran finally got her first taste of playoff basketball last year, which explains why Clark expects Saturday to be an emotional game for Mitchell. But it's not just the hometowns with drawing power. Former Fever guard Erica Wheeler, now a teammate of 34-year-old Skylar Diggins in Seattle, drew a loud ovation when she was reintroduced during Friday's skills challenge. Diggins, a seven-time All-Star, was Indiana's 2009 Miss Basketball Award winner before leading her hometown Notre Dame Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four appearances, one in the very same fieldhouse hosting Saturday's game. 'It's always love when I come here,' Diggins said, calling Thursday's orange carpet presentation the best she's seen. 'The fans are amazing. This is a great host city. It makes sense that it's here and I'm happy because like I said, I get to see a lot of my family and friends, and I've already seen people around town that I haven't seen in years.' The Indianapolis experience already has others making pitches for their cities to play host. 'It'll be nice, but I feel like tonight we'll represented by a lot of Atlanta Dream fans, so I can't wait,' Gray said. 'The league needs to put its All-Star (Game) in Atlanta — soon.' Mitchell might endorse that idea, too, given that it would give her another chance to eat at Wheeler's restaurant in Atlanta. For now, though, Mitchell intends to savor this rare moment with her family, friends, teammates and, yes, even competitors. 'For us as people, it's an opportunity to connect on different levels and for us, I think, basketball is a way to do that,' Mitchell said. 'And I think it's fun for the city, I think it's fun for our families. It's just fun for the world, considering everything that's happening.'
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Playing the All-Star Game at home creates special feeling for Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever players
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell spent last week tamping down the All-Star excitement. First, she had to play some crucial games. On Friday, she finally had a chance to show how she felt about playing Saturday's game on her home court. Mitchell's eyes opened wide, the trademark grin stretched across her face and the words started flying out of her mouth. 'I feel grateful,' she said. 'I feel happy that my family and friends are able to come. It's close for us because I'm from Cincinnati, so a lot of us get to connect, reconnect through basketball. It's just fun, it's a good experience and I'm grateful, I'm grateful I'm here.' Mitchell is making her third straight All-Star trip, this one just down the street from home, and is joined by two teammates — guard Caitlin Clark and center Aliyah Boston — for the second straight year. Nothing about this is routine, though. Indianapolis is the 13th city to host All-Star weekend, which was played primarily in the New York to Washington corridor during its first decade of existence and has moved West more recently. Last year's game was in Phoenix, and Las Vegas hosted three of the previous five and could be in the mix next summer, too. If things go as well Saturday as they did Thursday and Friday, perhaps Indianapolis will find itself in the regular rotation. Friday night's festivities drew an estimated 15,000 fans to the arena. 'The last time I did the 3-point shootout in Vegas, it didn't feel sold out,' 3-point champion Sabrina Ionescu. 'The last time (Stephen Curry) beat me when we were here in Indy. So really happy to be able to be here and put on a good show.' Most players in town such as Atlanta guard Allisha Gray know 'Hoosiers' both as the Indiana University nickname and as the popular movie title and appreciate playing in a state with so much basketball history. But not everyone has had the same hometown experience for home All-Star Games. 'Playing in front of home fans is definitely fun, though it brings in a mix of everything,' said four-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, who played six seasons with Las Vegas before joining Los Angeles this year. 'At the time, I was in Vegas (where) we had a lot of visitors in town, so it didn't feel super homey. It felt kind of like everyone was cheering for their person.' That's unlikely to be the case Saturday night. While Clark and Boston, the last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, possess more star power, Mitchell is revered locally for her scoring prowess, upbeat personality and resilience. The eight-year veteran finally got her first taste of playoff basketball last year, which explains why Clark expects Saturday to be an emotional game for Mitchell. But it's not just the hometowns with drawing power. Former Fever guard Erica Wheeler, now a teammate of 34-year-old Skylar Diggins in Seattle, drew a loud ovation when she was reintroduced during Friday's skills challenge. Diggins, a seven-time All-Star, was Indiana's 2009 Miss Basketball Award winner before leading her hometown Notre Dame Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four appearances, one in the very same fieldhouse hosting Saturday's game. 'It's always love when I come here,' Diggins said, calling Thursday's orange carpet presentation the best she's seen. 'The fans are amazing. This is a great host city. It makes sense that it's here and I'm happy because like I said, I get to see a lot of my family and friends, and I've already seen people around town that I haven't seen in years.' The Indianapolis experience already has others making pitches for their cities to play host. 'It'll be nice, but I feel like tonight we'll represented by a lot of Atlanta Dream fans, so I can't wait,' Gray said. 'The league needs to put its All-Star (Game) in Atlanta — soon.' Mitchell might endorse that idea, too, given that it would give her another chance to eat at Wheeler's restaurant in Atlanta. For now, though, Mitchell intends to savor this rare moment with her family, friends, teammates and, yes, even competitors. 'For us as people, it's an opportunity to connect on different levels and for us, I think, basketball is a way to do that,' Mitchell said. 'And I think it's fun for the city, I think it's fun for our families. It's just fun for the world, considering everything that's happening.' ___ AP WNBA:
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Playing the All-Star Game at home creates special feeling for Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever players
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell spent last week tamping down the All-Star excitement. First, she had to play some crucial games. On Friday, she finally had a chance to show how she felt about playing Saturday's game on her home court. Mitchell's eyes opened wide, the trademark grin stretched across her face and the words started flying out of her mouth. 'I feel grateful,' she said. 'I feel happy that my family and friends are able to come. It's close for us because I'm from Cincinnati, so a lot of us get to connect, reconnect through basketball. It's just fun, it's a good experience and I'm grateful, I'm grateful I'm here.' Mitchell is making her third straight All-Star trip, this one just down the street from home, and is joined by two teammates — guard Caitlin Clark and center Aliyah Boston — for the second straight year. Nothing about this is routine, though. Indianapolis is the 13th city to host All-Star weekend, which was played primarily in the New York to Washington corridor during its first decade of existence and has moved West more recently. Last year's game was in Phoenix, and Las Vegas hosted three of the previous five and could be in the mix next summer, too. If things go as well Saturday as they did Thursday and Friday, perhaps Indianapolis will find itself in the regular rotation. Friday night's festivities drew an estimated 15,000 fans to the arena. 'The last time I did the 3-point shootout in Vegas, it didn't feel sold out,' 3-point champion Sabrina Ionescu. 'The last time (Stephen Curry) beat me when we were here in Indy. So really happy to be able to be here and put on a good show.' Most players in town such as Atlanta guard Allisha Gray know 'Hoosiers' both as the Indiana University nickname and as the popular movie title and appreciate playing in a state with so much basketball history. But not everyone has had the same hometown experience for home All-Star Games. 'Playing in front of home fans is definitely fun, though it brings in a mix of everything,' said four-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, who played six seasons with Las Vegas before joining Los Angeles this year. 'At the time, I was in Vegas (where) we had a lot of visitors in town, so it didn't feel super homey. It felt kind of like everyone was cheering for their person.' That's unlikely to be the case Saturday night. While Clark and Boston, the last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, possess more star power, Mitchell is revered locally for her scoring prowess, upbeat personality and resilience. The eight-year veteran finally got her first taste of playoff basketball last year, which explains why Clark expects Saturday to be an emotional game for Mitchell. But it's not just the hometowns with drawing power. Former Fever guard Erica Wheeler, now a teammate of 34-year-old Skylar Diggins in Seattle, drew a loud ovation when she was reintroduced during Friday's skills challenge. Diggins, a seven-time All-Star, was Indiana's 2009 Miss Basketball Award winner before leading her hometown Notre Dame Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four appearances, one in the very same fieldhouse hosting Saturday's game. 'It's always love when I come here,' Diggins said, calling Thursday's orange carpet presentation the best she's seen. 'The fans are amazing. This is a great host city. It makes sense that it's here and I'm happy because like I said, I get to see a lot of my family and friends, and I've already seen people around town that I haven't seen in years.' The Indianapolis experience already has others making pitches for their cities to play host. 'It'll be nice, but I feel like tonight we'll represented by a lot of Atlanta Dream fans, so I can't wait,' Gray said. 'The league needs to put its All-Star (Game) in Atlanta — soon.' Mitchell might endorse that idea, too, given that it would give her another chance to eat at Wheeler's restaurant in Atlanta. For now, though, Mitchell intends to savor this rare moment with her family, friends, teammates and, yes, even competitors. 'For us as people, it's an opportunity to connect on different levels and for us, I think, basketball is a way to do that,' Mitchell said. 'And I think it's fun for the city, I think it's fun for our families. It's just fun for the world, considering everything that's happening.' ___ AP WNBA:
18-05-2025
- Sport
Clark has triple-double to lead Fever past Sky 93-58 as tempers flare after hard foul in 3rd quarter
INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark opened the season with the third triple-double of her career, and the new-look Indiana Fever dominated the final 16 1/2 minutes Saturday to pull away from the revamped Chicago Sky 93-58. Last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while blocking a career-high four shots. Aliyah Boston added 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, while Natasha Howard scored 15 points in her Fever debut. DeWanna Bonner also scored seven points to move into third on the WNBA's career scoring last, passing Tina Thompson. Bonner now has 7,489 points. Indiana's victory margin matched the second-largest in franchise history. Angel Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Sky, who lost three of four last season to Indiana. Ariel Atkins added 11 points. But the game was defined by the newest chapter in the Clark-Reese rivalry. This time, it came on a hard foul from Clark across Reese's arm, which jarred the ball loose and knocked Reese to the floor with 4:38 left in the third quarter. When Reese jumped up to confront Clark, Fever center Aliyah Boston stepped between the two players as Clark walked away from the skirmish. The referees upgraded Clark's foul to a flagrant 1 and assessed technical fouls to Reese and Boston following a replay review. But after Reese made one of two free throws and Courtney Vandersloot made a layup on the ensuing possession, Indiana closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 65-45 lead. The Sky never really threatened Indiana's lead. Fever coach Stephanie White earned the first win of her second coaching tenure in her first game back in the state where she won Indiana's 1994-95 Miss Basketball Award and led Purdue to the 1998-99 national championship.
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Caitlin Clark's triple-double leads Fever past Sky as tempers flared between rivals
Only the recently retired Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles have scored more points than Bonner, who has made the All-WNBA team twice. Advertisement Angel Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Sky, who lost three of four last season to Indiana. Ariel Atkins added 11 points. But the game was defined by the newest chapter in the Clark-Reese rivalry. This time, it came on a hard foul from Clark across Reese's arm, which jarred the ball loose and knocked Reese to the floor with 4:38 left in the third quarter. When Reese jumped up to confront Clark, Fever center Aliyah Boston stepped between the two players as Clark walked away from the skirmish. The referees upgraded Clark's foul to a flagrant 1 and assessed technical fouls to Reese and Boston following a replay review. Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play. Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. — ESPN (@espn) But after Reese made one of two free throws and Courtney Vandersloot made a layup on the ensuing possession, Indiana closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 65-45 lead. The Sky never really threatened Indiana's lead. Advertisement White earned the first win of her second coaching tenure in her first game back in the state where she won Indiana's 1994-95 Miss Basketball Award and led Purdue to the 1998-99 national championship.
