After a dismal outing on Sunday, the Indiana Fever got their spark back on Tuesday, cruising to a 96–77 win over the league-best Minnesota Lynx in their final game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse of the regular season.
Working in the Fever’s favor was not just a collectively strong performance from their starters, but also the absence of rookie sensation Olivia Miles for the Lynx, who sat out with a calf injury. Indiana built momentum early, handing Minnesota a 23-point deficit before halftime, which marked the Lynx’s largest deficit of the season. Coach Cheryl Reeve turned to her reserves for an extended run in the third quarter, where Minnesota finally found a rhythm and cut the lead back to single digits.
Caitlin Clark flirted with a triple-double through three quarters, finishing with a game-high 27 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
One notable rotation adjustment following Sunday’s deflating loss was the flip in minutes between Sophie Cunningham and rookie Raven Johnson. The Fever favored Johnson on Sunday, limiting Cunningham to just seven minutes of action. Tuesday was a different story, as Cunningham saw significantly more court time than Johnson, and Indiana’s offense ran noticeably smoother with her on the floor.
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Indiana’s “Big 3” of Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell balled out, combining for 67 points.
Mitchell also extended her scorching streak, tallying her 27th consecutive game with 20 or more points.
“I thought our third quarter was a bit sloppy,” Clark said after the win.
“You’ve got to give their bench credit, but overall I thought our pace and intentionality on the offensive end were good.”
Sunday’s brutal loss to Washington is officially in the rearview after Indiana flexed on the top-seeded Lynx, grabbing a massive momentum boost right before the playoffs and keeping their chase for first-round home-court advantage hot.
The Fever will finish the regular season on Thursday with a rematch against the Lynx, this time in Minnesota.
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