The crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse arrived wondering who would step into the scoring void left by rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, scratched late with a stomach bug.

They walked out chanting the names of Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell, two Fever guards who produced their finest combined performance of the season in a riveting 92-84 win over the Chicago Sky.

Hull, usually praised for her perimeter defense, torched Chicago for a career-high 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting, while Mitchell poured in 27, including 11 in a fourth-quarter surge that kept Angel Reese’s furious comeback bid at bay. It was the rare night Clark could remain a spectator and enjoy every minute.

Indiana’s game plan was simple: trap Sky ball-handlers early, run at every rebound, and force the rookie frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso to defend in space. From the opening tip, Hull darted through stagger screens, constantly relocating as Mitchell manipulated the pick-and-roll.

The duo combined for 18 of the Fever’s 28 first-quarter points, burying Chicago beneath an avalanche of threes and transition layups. Unable to key on Clark’s deep-logo gravity, the Sky looked unprepared for Indiana’s egalitarian offense, conceding back-door cuts that felt ripped from a coaching-clinic video.

Angel Reese kept Chicago afloat, ripping down offensive boards with her trademark relentlessness. She finished with 20 points and a season-best 17 rebounds, yet even her work on the glass couldn’t mask the Sky’s perimeter woes.

Marina Mabrey missed six of her first seven shots, and when Hull drilled consecutive corner triples to push the margin to 15, Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon burned a timeout so fiery it singed the baseline cameras.

Reese responded by demanding the ball on three straight possessions, converting a pair of put-backs and drawing a foul on Aliyah Boston. Still, every time Chicago threatened, Mitchell answered with her patented off-balance runners.

What made Hull’s breakout stunning was the efficiency. Her 24 points came on only 11 attempts, most generated by smart relocation rather than designed sets.

Postgame, Mitchell grinned at the stat sheet. “She’s always open because she never stops moving,” she quipped. Coach Christie Sides elaborated: “Teams load up on Kelsey and Caitlin.

Tonight we told Lexie, ‘Don’t hesitate—let it fly.’ She did more than that; she took over stretches of the game.” Hull’s teammates rewarded her confidence, zipping the ball around the horn for hockey-assist threes that ignited the 9,400 in attendance.

Chicago’s best stretch arrived late in the third quarter when Dana Evans picked up Mitchell full-court, and Reese anchored a switching scheme that momentarily bottled Indiana. The Sky rattled off a 13-2 run, slicing a 72-57 deficit to four.

During that span, Cardoso finally exploited her size advantage over the smaller Fever bench unit, catching lobs and swatting two Destiny Henderson layups into the seats.

Yet the comeback hit turbulence when Mitchell re-entered and immediately drew a foul on a right-wing three, another on a hesitation blow-by, and fed Boston for a high-low layup. Momentum, once wearing Sky blue, slipped back into Fever red and navy.

Indiana’s victory wasn’t merely about shot-making; it was the collective grit on defense. Boston and Temi Fagbenle fronted Cardoso, forcing lob passes that became 50-50 balls.

Kristy Wallace dove on the floor for loose possessions, and even Mitchell, not known for her size, took a charge on Reese that wiped away a transition bucket.

The Fever forced 18 Chicago turnovers, converting them into 24 points—an area where Clark often thrives but tonight never had to lift a finger. “That’s the culture we’re trying to build,” Sides said. “Next woman up, pressure everywhere.”

Reese remained undeterred, showing the poise Sky fans hope will anchor the franchise for years. She hit a sweeping hook and found Evans for a corner three that trimmed the lead to 83-80 with 2:36 remaining. The building tensed. Then Hull flashed through a double-stagger, caught in rhythm, and drilled her fourth three.

On the next trip, Mitchell went iso at the top of the key, danced into a step-back mid-range jumper, and drew the and-one. Game. Set. Fever. Boston flexed, Hull chest-bumped Wallace, and Chicago’s bench could only shake their heads at a 10-0 knockout punch delivered in under a minute.

In the handshake line, Reese hugged Hull and whispered something that drew a smile from the usually stoic Stanford grad. Later, Hull revealed the exchange: “She told me, ‘You were cooking us, keep going.’

Coming from Angel, that means a lot.” Mutual respect permeates the W, but so does a competitive edge obvious all night. Mitchell’s postgame comments dripped with it.

“Everybody loves talking about Caitlin—and we love her too—but don’t forget we hoop over here. Tonight was a message.” Social media amplified that message quickly; highlights of Hull’s cuts and Mitchell’s dagger floated across timelines before players had even showered.

Statistically, the Fever shot 52 percent from the field, 11-for-23 from deep, and scored 46 points in the paint despite Chicago possessing the league’s tallest front line.

They dished 25 assists on 34 makes, testament to a ball movement that often stagnates when possessions become Clark-centric. It’s not a criticism of the rookie—Indiana needs her gravity—but proof the roster contains more weapons than the casual fan realizes.

Defensively, they held Mabrey and Chennedy Carter to 9-for-28 combined, a figure that underscored how essential perimeter containment is against a Sky team lacking high-volume three-point threats.

The win nudged Indiana to 6-7, planting them firmly in the early playoff picture after last season’s 13-27 finish. More importantly, it provided a psychological jolt. The Fever had lost six straight to Chicago, many in crushing fashion.

Snapping that skid without their headliner fosters belief throughout the locker room. Mitchell noted, “We can’t wait for Caitlin to rescue us; she’s not a cape-wearing superhero.

She’s our teammate. We all gotta hoop like we did tonight.” Clark, sporting a hoodie and wide grin courtside, applauded every big sequence, and cameras caught her yelling, “That’s my squad!” as the final buzzer sounded.

Looking ahead, Indiana embarks on a brutal three-game road swing—at Las Vegas, at Seattle, at Minnesota. Clark is expected back, but the Fever now possess a blueprint for nights when defenses sell out to smother her.

Hull’s emergence adds another layer to scouting reports, and Mitchell’s scorching form (averaging 23.8 points over her last five) demands constant attention.

Boston, still only in her second pro season, relishes the spacing those guards create. “It’s pick your poison,” she said, laughing. “Double Kelsey? Lexie bangs a three. Stay home? I’m sealing for layups. And when Cait’s back, good luck.”

As the arena lights dimmed and the cleaning crew swept confetti, Hull lingered signing autographs for a knot of young fans clutching homemade posters. One read “Defense Queen, Offense Machine.”

She posed, handed back the Sharpie, and jogged toward the tunnel, still high-fiving ushers. For a player whose name rarely trends, the night felt like a coronation. Mitchell emerged moments later and wrapped an arm around her teammate. “Remember this feeling,” she said.

After toppling Angel Reese and the Sky without their most famous player, the Fever suddenly look less like a one-woman show and more like a dangerous ensemble ready to echo that feeling all summer long.