Sports 2 min read By Bethany Hadley
Caitlin Clark Leads Fever to Statement Win Over Top-Seeded Lynx
Indiana Fever beat the league-leading Minnesota Lynx 96–77 in their final regular-season home game, with Caitlin Clark finishing with 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Caitlin Clark delivered a game-high 27 points as the Indiana Fever cruised to a 96–77 victory over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a result that hands Indiana a significant momentum boost ahead of the playoffs.
The Fever, who had produced a dismal display in a defeat to Washington on Sunday, responded emphatically. Indiana built a 23-point lead before half-time, marking the largest deficit the Lynx have faced all season. Clark finished with nine rebounds and seven assists, flirting with a triple-double through three quarters.
Minnesota were without rookie sensation Olivia Miles, who sat out with a calf injury. Even so, the Lynx found a rhythm in the third quarter as coach Cheryl Reeve turned to her reserves for an extended run, cutting the lead back to single digits. But Indiana steadied and pulled away again.
«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.»
Indiana's «Big 3» of Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 67 points. Mitchell also extended her remarkable scoring streak, recording her 27th consecutive game with 20 or more points.
One notable rotation adjustment followed Sunday's deflating loss, with the minutes flipped between Sophie Cunningham and rookie Raven Johnson. Johnson had been favoured on Sunday, limiting Cunningham to just seven minutes. On Tuesday, Cunningham saw significantly more court time and Indiana's offence ran noticeably smoother with her on the floor.
The win keeps the Fever's chase for first-round home-court advantage alive and puts Sunday's heavy loss firmly in the rearview mirror. Indiana will finish the regular season on Thursday with a rematch against the Lynx, this time in Minnesota.
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