INDIANAPOLIS – Essentially the most important commonality for the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever, as of Tuesday, was one another. The groups will meet in two straight video games to finish the WNBA common season. The identical faces successfully will resolve one another’s postseason fates over no less than 80 minutes.
As pure theater, Tuesday’s assembly had promise. Their solely earlier assembly in early August featured 208 mixed factors and have become the second-most-watched WNBA regular-season recreation ever. “That was among the best video games of the season,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned earlier than this one.
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Historical past didn’t repeat. However a reenergized Fever squad atoned for one in all its worst offensive performances of the season with one in all its most effective halves all 12 months, then held off a lineup of ornery Lynx reserves in a 96-77 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It assured Indiana will slide no decrease than the sixth seed within the postseason whereas leaving Minnesota with a pair evident issues.
The Lynx must win a rematch Thursday to clinch the No. 1 seed within the postseason, all whereas All-Star and MVP contender Olivia Miles missed Tuesday’s recreation with a left calf harm. Reeve definitely appeared to take direct goal at some urgency nicely earlier than the evening was over: She benched each starter to start the second half, and if it did not carry her staff all the way in which again, it definitely despatched a message.
Extra takeaways from the penultimate efficiency of the common season for either side:
No extra Minnesota good
Over the primary two months of the season, the Lynx allowed opponents to attain 89 or extra factors simply 4 occasions. It is now occurred eight occasions for the reason that starting of August — together with 4 straight video games going into the regular-season finale. They haven’t deluded themselves about the issue.
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“I need to see the ‘F you’ about us,” wing Kayla McBride mentioned earlier than the sport. “And I imply that wholeheartedly. Like I do not care in regards to the outcomes, I do not suppose, at this level. I am extra involved about our ‘F you’ in direction of the opposite staff. Simply going and ripping individuals’s hearts out and taking momentum again, and ending video games and placing hammers down.”
As an alternative, the staff performed lethargically and missed photographs from the beginning, with the Fever a number of steps forward in ball motion and rim-running in transition. Therefore Reeve’s unmistakable message at halftime: deploy a lineup of 5 reserves to start out the third quarter.
That group really minimize the deficit in half throughout the first three minutes of the third quarter, in the end outscoring the Fever by 16 within the body. It did not final, as Indiana saved the guests at arm’s size within the fourth quarter. The Lynx have been trending sideways for the reason that All-Star break, and that is the final probability for a wake-up name.
Indiana again within the Boston market
The Fever’s 77 factors on Sunday was the second-lowest complete of the season, and the primary repair was taking part in by way of All-Star heart Aliyah Boston with extra intent. Boston totaled simply 15 factors on 14 photographs throughout Indiana’s final two video games, which is an excellent plan if the concept is to lose early within the postseason.
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Foul hassle plaguing Boston towards Washington over the weekend wasn’t sufficient of an excuse for Fever coach Stephanie White. “I am involved,” she mentioned earlier than the sport. “We gotta get A.B. going. She’s gotta be a focus of what we do.”
It took Boston about 4 minutes to get her fingers on the ball within the paint on Tuesday, and she or he did not file an official area purpose try till 29 seconds remained within the first quarter. However the slow-ish begin did not final. She completed with 17 factors and 7 boards, doing probably the most injury early. By the tip of the half, Boston’s scoring complete (13 factors) practically matched her earlier two nights out.
However everybody felt the reduction. Earlier than the sport, White mentioned the Fever have been trying to find their stream, particularly towards higher groups that may drag the Fever into slogs. “When it comes to the grit, it is like, we gotta be prepared to play by way of the mud, so to talk,” White mentioned. “We have to be prepared to be intentional about attending to the second, third and generally fourth motion.”
All of the actions labored early Tuesday. The Fever had 9 assists on 9 made photographs within the first quarter and 17 helpers on 18 makes at halftime — a fairly astounding share fee even for Indiana. And following White’s plea for extra assist from the bench, Sophie Cunningham took the ground for additional capturing nicely earlier than tipoff after which contributed 11 factors after a zero-point, seven-minute displaying on Sunday.
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Even Kelsey Mitchell’s file streak of 20-point video games survived, barely, on a 3-pointer simply earlier than the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter, making it 27 such performances in a row.
Miles to go?
In an eyebrow-raiser, Miles was listed as questionable early Tuesday with a left calf muscle harm. The All-Star rookie logged half-hour in Connecticut on Sunday with no discernible concern, so eyes have been on her when the doorways opened for a shootaround viewing window at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The great signal: No matter the issue together with her calf, Miles moved round simply whereas arguing semantics over the half-court shot contest to finish the exercise. The unhealthy indicators: Miles wore glasses, not goggles, suggesting she did not see aggressive motion. And she or he left the sector with an ice bag taped to her decrease leg.
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About 90 minutes earlier than tipoff, the Lynx formally dominated out Miles for the evening. That took 19.8 factors and 6 assists per recreation out of the lineup with a playoff seeding within the steadiness. “It modifications lots, as a result of she’s the top of the snake,” White mentioned earlier than the sport. “It modifications protection, it modifications who their main ballhandler is, most likely the actions they run.”
The query, now, is how prepared Miles will likely be for the Thursday evening rematch in Minneapolis — and the way nicely she’ll maintain up for the playoff run.
This text initially appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever, WNBA
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