Lynx Control Own Fate for Top Seed Despite Loss in Indiana
The short version
- Indiana beat Minnesota 96-77 Tuesday in the first game of a home-and-home series.
- Caitlin Clark had 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals for the Fever.
- A Lynx home win Thursday over Indiana clinches the No. 1 seed regardless of Golden State's results.
- A Lynx loss means Golden State must lose at least one of its final two games for Minnesota to finish first.
- Minnesota's Olivia Miles was a late scratch with a calf injury.
Minnesota fell 96-77 to the Fever on Tuesday but can still lock up the WNBA's No. 1 seed with a home win in Thursday's finale.
The Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-77 on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, winning the opener of a home-and-home set that closes the regular season. Indiana built an advantage that reached 29 points and went to the locker room up 57-34, the first time all year the league-leading Lynx faced a deficit of more than 20.
Minnesota narrowed the gap to single digits after halftime before the Fever reasserted themselves to close out the 19-point victory. Caitlin Clark paced Indiana with 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, with Kelsey Mitchell adding 20 points and Aliyah Boston contributing 17.
Sophie Cunningham scored 11 off the bench for the Fever. Napheesa Collier's nine points led Minnesota's starters, while Chloe Bibby came off the bench for a team-high 15 and Liatu King added 12. The Lynx were missing Olivia Miles, a late scratch with a calf injury, as well as Elena Buenavida (coach's decision) and Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (right foot).
Despite the loss, Minnesota's route to the No. 1 playoff seed is simple: a win in Thursday's rematch on the Lynx's home floor clinches the top spot no matter what Golden State does. If Minnesota loses, the Lynx would still finish first provided Golden State drops at least one of its last two games, at Portland on Tuesday and at Los Angeles on Thursday.