Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell offered an emotional reflection Saturday after leading the Indiana Fever to a 92–70 win over the Chicago Sky, acknowledging the challenge of keeping team morale high amid multiple roster losses.

“We gotta laugh to keep from crying,” Mitchell said postgame, underscoring the team’s resilience. “Losing Syd (Sydney Colson) was big … losing Aari (Aari McDonald) was big … not having CC (Caitlin Clark) is even bigger,” Mitchell said in a CBS video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by user @Ericaf455. “So those three not being here, we gotta take every joy that we can and we wanna enjoy while we can enjoy, but also respect the game.

Mitchell also noted the team’s unity and commitment, even with missing key players, as a driving factor in their success.

“(We're) committed to each other, and that's what you gotta see, it's us staying together,” she said.

Mitchell's 26 points anchored the win, with Lexie Hull adding 17 and Sophie Cunningham scoring 10 of her 16 before halftime. Aliyah Boston contributed 15, helping Indiana improve to 18–14. The Fever built a 48–37 halftime advantage on 51.5% shooting and seized control early in the third quarter with an 8–0 run, ultimately pulling away for a comfortable victory over an injury-challenged Sky.

Chicago, now 8–23, remained without Angel Reese, who missed her fifth straight game with a back injury. Rachel Banham led the Sky with 11 points, while Maddy Westbeld added 10 off the bench.

The Fever are navigating a difficult stretch that includes the absence of Colson (ACL), McDonald (broken foot) and Clark (right groin), who has not played since mid-July. Clark’s return remains uncertain heading into mid-August, as medical staff proceed cautiously to ensure she’s fully healthy before returning.

Indiana returns home to host the Dallas Wings on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, seeking to build on Saturday’s chemistry and continue their mid-season push. The Sky travel to face the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this article.