Why Kelsey Mitchell compared Caitlin Clark to LeBron James after their first game together

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell opened up about her first game alongside Caitlin Clark in the 2024 WNBA preseason.

Mitchell joined the Fever in 2018, two years before Caitlin Clark joined the Iowa Hawkeyes and embarked on one of the greatest NCAA women's basketball careers of all time.

Six years later, Mitchell saw Clark get drafted to be her teammate in the 2024 WNBA Draft, a watershed moment in the league's history as it transformed overnight after Clark joined.

Kelsey Mitchell compares Caitlin Clark's rookie stardom to LeBron James

Mitchell spoke about her first Fever preseason game alongside Clark in a recent interview and compared the attention she received to what LeBron James would.

"I think CC, when she first got here and we had to go play the preseason game in Iowa, I was like, bro, this is like some LeBron —-. I couldn't believe it. To see the lights, the people, and the stuff, I am in awe of CC all the time because she handled it so well. Her as a professional too, she wants to be great."

Mitchell has thrived in her three seasons alongside Clark on the Fever, posting career-highs in each successive season.

Her first season with Clark saw her average 19.2 points, which went up to 20.2 points last season with Clark missing most of the year due to injuries.

This season is an unquestioned peak, as Mitchell is averaging 25.0 points while Clark is averaging 22.8 points and 8.5 assists.

They solidified their status as the greatest scoring duo in WNBA regular-season history, and will be hoping to make a deep run in the 2026 playoffs to establish their credentials as postseason players.

If Clark's regular-season games are regularly breaking records, playoff games with her might be among the most-viewed WNBA games of all time, even challenging records set before the 2000s.