Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell in history books after shocking Game 1 domination of Aces

Kelsey Mitchell had a historic performance in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces on Sunday afternoon.

In 34 minutes of action, Mitchell finished with a stat line of 34 points, three assists, two steals, and a rebound. She shot 12-of-23 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Mitchell etched herself into the record books with her performance, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. She scored the most points by a WNBA player in their first career semifinal game. It also marked the 2nd-most points a Fever player scored in the playoffs in franchise history.

How Kelsey Mitchell, Fever played against Aces

Kelsey Mitchell's historic efforts proved to be crucial as the Fever stunned the Aces 89-73 in Game 1, taking a 1-0 series lead.

Indiana took control of the momentum in the second half and never looked back. Las Vegas trailed by as many as 16 points, their largest deficit in any game since their 53-point loss to the Lynx on Aug. 2.

Shot accuracy, free throws and playmaking made the difference in this matchup. The Fever made 50% of their total shots, 16 of their 17 tries at the line, and created 17 assists. It wasn't the case for the Aces, converting 40.8% of their chances from the field, knocking down 10 of their 12 free throws, and dishing out just 12 assists.

Three players scored in double-digits on Indiana's behalf, including Mitchell. Odyssey Sims had a solid display of 17 points, three assists, three steals, and two rebounds. She shot 7-of-13 overall and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. Natasha Howard came next with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Aliyah Boston had six points and 11 rebounds, while Lexie Hull provided six points and two assists.

The Fever will look to take a 2-0 series lead when they face the Aces in Game 2. The contest will take place on Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET.