Fever Should Prioritize Kelsey Mitchell Over Caitlin Clark After Aces Blunder, Says Stephen A. Smith

The Indiana Fever have lost their last two games, both against the top two teams in the league. While the first one was not due to one particular problem, mistakes committed by Caitlin Clark definitely led to the second one against the Aces.

The superstar first missed two free throws towards the end of regulation that could have easily won the Indiana Fever the game. But that was not all of her mistakes.

At the end of overtime, Clark turned the ball over with her team in the lead. If one were to dismiss those two errors, suggesting that a game is not lost due to one play, the Aces converting 14 points off her eight turnovers was the reason the Fever lost a lead they built.

The Iowa native accepted responsibility and made it clear that it is her job to ensure the team is in the right space. However, Stephen A. Smith believes that when a player is struggling, the head coach should shift responsibilities to another who is in better form.

You can’t, as a coach, be giving the ball to Caitlin Clark just because she is Caitlin Clark. Not when you’ve got a Kelsey Mitchell on the floor, who is absolutely balling for you… When you have someone that is averaging five turnovers a game, you don’t consistently put the ball into their hands with the game on the line when you have somebody more efficient.

Stephen A. Smith said

“When you see someone producing like that, you gotta give them the ball.”@stephenasmith breaks down whether Caitlin Clark or Kelsey Mitchell should be the Fever's go-to scorer 🏀 pic.twitter.com/Jq7UIGaj6x

— First Take (@FirstTake) August 7, 2026

The ESPN analyst reiterated that he is not someone who diligently watches WNBA games. But the highlights he saw gave him enough proof that Fever head coach Stephanie White should go with the team’s hot hand, Kelsey Mitchell, and not Caitlin Clark.

Caitlin Clark excited for her signature shoe’s presence on NBA 2K27

These two losses came right after Caitlin Clark was having an incredible month-long run of success. Not only was she breaking records in the WNBA, but off the court, she was winning, too.

Her signature shoe, the Caitlin 1, has been receiving a lot of promotions. But her favorite one, it seems, is something that her fans can use even if they may not buy the shoe itself.

It’s pretty incredible. I think my favorite part of it is obviously… my shoe. — You can get the shoe in real life, but you can also get it in the game, and that’s fun for the consumer to be able to feel like they have a part of me, whether they’re watching me play or then they go and play as me in the game, that’s a pretty cool part of it.

Caitlin Clark said

Caitlin on her NBA 2K27 Deluxe Edition cover and seeing her signature shoe in the game:

"It's pretty incredible. I think my favorite part of it is obviously… my shoe. — You can get the shoe in real life, but you can also get it in the game, and that's fun for the consumer to… pic.twitter.com/Vu0RmRyvz9

— m!ch | luv u cc ☁️ (@clarkmode_) August 7, 2026

This was when Ronnie 2K, NBA 2K’s brand ambassador and head of content marketing, asked the Fever point guard what she thought about her being the cover athlete for the 2K27 edition of the game. Clark believes that the accurate representation of her Caitlin 1s will be something fans will enjoy.

Caitlin Clark helps George Kittle’s 103-year-old grandmother enjoy a WNBA game

Caitlin Clark’s recent performances might bring up criticism, but there are a lot of people who admire and support the point guard. One of them is NFL star George Kittle, who has been supportive of his fellow Iowa alum.

Thank you, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, for taking care of my Grandma Lucky and my aunts!

George Kittle wrote on IG

The Fever and their leading superstar created a custom jersey with Kittle’s grandmother’s age printed on it. This is another example of how the 24-year-old is accommodating, especially when it comes to some of her ardent fans.

Clark may have done this due to her friendship with the San Francisco 49ers star and his wife, and fellow Iowa basketball alum Claire Kittle, but the three-time All-Star has been accommodating such requests irrespective of allegiance.

Also Read:

• Kelsey Plum Draws Major Praise From New Head Coach After Helping Mercury Win: “Hell of a First Performance By Her”
• Officials Calling Foul on Sophie Cunningham Despite Being Elbowed in the Face Angers Fans – “The NBA Needs to Defund the League”