The Indiana Fever closed out their regular-season home schedule with a statement win, beating the league-leading Minnesota Lynx 96-77 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
The win came just days after a rough loss to Washington on Sunday, and it showed a Fever team that looked far more in sync. Indiana built a 23-point lead before halftime, the largest deficit the Lynx have faced all season. Minnesota was also without rookie standout Olivia Miles, who sat out with a calf injury.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve leaned on her bench for extended minutes in the third quarter, and that group clawed the deficit down to single digits before Indiana pulled away again.
Caitlin Clark nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with a game-high 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Afterward, she credited Minnesota’s reserves but pointed to a rough patch in her own team’s play.
“I thought our third quarter was a bit sloppy,” Clark said. “You’ve got to give their bench credit, but overall I thought our pace and intentionality on the offensive end were good.”
Indiana also made a notable lineup change following Sunday’s loss, swapping the minutes split between Sophie Cunningham and rookie Raven Johnson. Johnson had gotten the bulk of the playing time on Sunday, holding Cunningham to just seven minutes. On Tuesday, Cunningham played significantly more, and the Fever’s offense moved more smoothly with her on the floor.
Indiana’s top three scorers again carried the load, with Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell combining for 67 points. Mitchell kept up her scoring streak as well, notching her 27th straight game with 20 or more points.
The win gives Indiana momentum heading into the postseason and keeps alive its hopes of securing first-round home-court advantage. The Fever will close out the regular season Thursday with a rematch against the Lynx, this time on Minnesota’s home floor.
