The Lynx vs Fever game on Tuesday night was one-sided from the first quarter. Caitlin Clark scored 27 points with nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals as the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-77 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points and Aliyah Boston 17. Even so, Minnesota ended the night as the WNBA’s No. 1 seed, thanks to a result on the other side of the country.
How Indiana took control of Lynx vs Fever
The Fever closed the first quarter on a 14-2 run to lead 31-16, then stretched the gap to 29 points in the first half. They went into the break 23 points ahead after shooting just over 50 percent from the field, against 37.5 percent for Minnesota.
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve then sat her starters for most of the second half. Minnesota’s reserves cut the deficit to 71-64 by the end of the third quarter and were still within eight with 8:15 left, but baskets from Clark, Mitchell and Boston pushed the lead back to 16 and Indiana pulled clear.
For the Lynx, Chloe Bibby scored all 15 of her points from three-point range, Liatu King added 12 and Dorka Juhasz had 12 rebounds and six assists. Rookie Olivia Miles was a late scratch with a left calf injury.
Kelsey Mitchell’s record streak reaches 27
Mitchell’s late three-pointer took her to 20 points for the 27th straight game, extending her WNBA single-season record. She has been Indiana’s most consistent scorer all year, and the streak goes into the final game of the regular season.
Why the Lynx still clinched the No. 1 seed
The defeat was Minnesota’s fourth in five games, their worst run of the season. But the Portland Fire beat the Golden State Valkyries 90-82 in overtime later on Tuesday. That loss ended Golden State’s chance of catching the Lynx, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Minnesota (32-11) have the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
What’s next: Fever at Lynx on Thursday
The two teams meet again in the regular-season finale at 8pm ET (7pm CT) on Thursday, September 24, in Minneapolis, on USA Network. Indiana (28-15) can finish no lower than sixth. To earn the No. 4 seed and home court in the first round, the Fever need to win on Thursday and have the Las Vegas Aces lose at Phoenix. That game tips off at 10pm ET the same night.
The season series is level at 1-1, so Thursday also settles that before the playoffs start.
