Kelsey Mitchell's 34-point masterclass in a blowout win over the Las Vegas Aces left Caitlin Clark searching for words. The Fever's top scorer has played the best basketball of her career this year and was easily the best player in Game 1 of the semifinal series against the 2022 and 2023 champions.While MVP A'ja Wilson struggled to score against the Fever defense, Mitchell, along with Natasha Howard and Odyssey Sims, helped the Fever take a big lead by the end of the third quarter, which paved the way for their big win.After Game 1, Caitlin Clark had a two-word reaction to Mitchell's masterclass."Kelsey unreal," the Fever star wrote in her X post.Mitchell scored 34 points in just 34 minutes and led both teams in scoring. She shot 12 of her 23 shots from the field, including 4 of her 6 attempts from the 3-point line. Mitchell also recorded 3 assists and 2 steals.It was Mitchell's career-high in a playoff game and the second-most points by an Indiana Fever player in the playoffs. Tamika Whitmore's 41-point outburst in 2006 against the Detroit Shock remains at the top.In the absence of Cailtin Clark, Mitchell has to handle an extra scoring responsibility, and she has not shied away from embracing that role. The Fever were written off from the playoffs after Clark was ruled out of the season. Two months later, the Fever are having a historic season, and Mitchell has been their leader. Can Caitlin Clark play if the Fever go deeper in 2025 playoffs?When the Indiana Fever crushed the Atlanta Dream in the opening round, fans on social media urged the team to bring Caitlin Clark. After the semifinals Game 1 win against the Aces, the curiosity took over Indiana fans. Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to return in this season's playoffs, regardless of how far the Fever advance. According to Indy Star, when the Fever declared their active roster for the playoffs, they left out Clark's name because of her groin injury. According to the WNBA's regulations, a player is not eligible to play if their name is not submitted for the active roster for the postseason. Caitlin Clark would have been eligible to play in the regular season. Just a few games before the playoffs, Clark, in her public statement, said that she wouldn't be able to return to the lineup this season and would take time to focus on her recovery. Did anyone anticipate the Fever going this deep in the season? Perhaps not. Despite playing without four of its regular players, it has exceeded expectations. Of the 11-player roster, four players have signed under hardship waivers.