The Indiana Fever needed a win to keep their chance of hosting a first round playoff series alive. Caitlin Clark supplied the urgency Tuesday night, scoring 27 points with nine assists and seven rebounds in a 96 to 77 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
The result did not prevent Minnesota from achieving its own goal. The Lynx secured the WNBA's No. 1 seed after Golden State lost in overtime to Portland, according to the league's game recap. That gives the night a split meaning: Indiana preserved a slim path to the No. 4 seed, while Minnesota gained the postseason position it wanted despite losing by 19.
Indiana seized the game early
The Fever closed the first quarter on a 14 to 2 run and led 31 to 16 after one. Their advantage reached 57 to 28 during the first half. Minnesota, playing without rookie Olivia Miles because of a left calf injury, leaned on its reserves for much of the remaining game. Those reserves cut the deficit to 71 to 64 by the end of the third quarter, but Indiana answered in the fourth and pulled away.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 for the Fever and extended her run of consecutive games with at least 20 points to 27, a league record. Aliyah Boston added 17 points and seven rebounds. For the Lynx, Chloe Bibby scored 15, all on three pointers, while Liatu King had 12.
The box score shows how sharply the first half shaped the outcome. Indiana scored 57 before halftime and finished with 40 points in the paint. Even after Minnesota's third quarter rally, the Fever restored a double digit lead with baskets from Clark, Mitchell and Boston.
Two different postseason calculations
Indiana has qualified for the playoffs, but seeding still matters. A climb to fourth would provide home court advantage in the opening round. Tuesday's win kept that possibility open, though the league described it as a faint hope with the regular season nearly complete. The Fever cannot settle the question on this result alone.
Minnesota can turn its attention to health and preparation. Coach Cheryl Reeve said the team would assess Miles day by day, according to the league recap. After the early deficit, Reeve used her starters sparingly for much of the final two and a half quarters to avoid additional injuries. That decision looks different with the top seed now secured: the Lynx can protect their roster without chasing another place in the standings.
The teams are scheduled to meet again Thursday in Minnesota for their regular season finale. Indiana will have another chance to press its seeding case. Minnesota will enter that game knowing its route through the bracket has already been established.
*Featured image: Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier during a Fever versus Lynx game in August 2024. Photo by John McClellan, licensed under [CC BY SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). This is a file photo, not an image from Tuesday's game.*