Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx
· Women's National Basketball AssociationKelsey Mitchell drops 21, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark score 17 each as Fever top Lynx 81-74
Boston grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Fever. NaLyssa Smith added 11 points.
Indiana (11-14), which lost 10 of its first 13 games, has won eight of 12 since. The team has won back-to-back games and three of its last four.
Clark set up Boston for a layup before Katie Lou Samuelson fed Boston for another basket inside to give the Fever a four-point lead with 2 minutes to go. Kayla McBride cut the deficit to a point with a 3-pointer just 8 seconds later but Clark was fouled and made two free throws to make it 77-74.
Mitchell swooped in to block a layup attempt by Alanna Smith with 22 seconds remaining, was fouled and hit two free throws to make it a five-point game with 16 seconds left. Clark made two fouls shots to cap the scoring 6 seconds later.
Alanna Smith had 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals despite being forced to the bench by foul trouble in the second half for Minnesota (16-8). Bridget Carleton tied her career high with five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota star Napheesa Collier, who averages 20 points and 10 rebounds, missed her fourth consecutive game with a foot injury.
Courtney Williams made a layup that tied the score at 50 and Dorka Juhasz followed with a layup, Clark was called for a technical foul for swiping at the face of Cecilia Zandalasini, who hooked Clark's arm on a fastbreak. McBride hit the ensuing free throw before Carleton hit a 3 and Williams made two foul shots to take an eight-point lead with a minute to go in the third quarter.
Clark, who made 1 of 9 from behind the arc in the first three quarters, hit a deep contested 3 to open the fourth. Mitchell and Samuelson each added a 3 to make it 63-63 with 8 minutes to play.
Samuelson made a left-hand scoop shot high off the glass with the shot clock winding down and Clark shook her defender with a series of moves for a wide-open layup that gave the Fever a 67-65 lead with 6:44 to go.
Alanna Smith answered with a 3 about a minute later but Mitchell responded with a step-back jumper and then grabbed the rebound of a miss by Clark and made the putback to make it 71-68. Zandalasini made a step-back 3-pointer to tie it again with 4:26 left.
Boston had 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the first half.
Regular Season Series
MIN wins series 2-1
Recent Plays
4th 0.0 | End of Game | 81 - 74 | |
4th 0.0 | End of the 4th Quarter | 81 - 74 | |
4th 10.1 | Caitlin Clark makes free throw 2 of 2 | 81 - 74 | |
4th 10.1 | Caitlin Clark makes free throw 1 of 2 | 80 - 74 | |
4th 10.1 | Courtney Williams personal take foul | 79 - 74 |
Statistics
IND | MIN | |
---|---|---|
31-70 | FG | 27-70 |
44.3 | Field Goal % | 38.6 |
8-29 | 3PT | 11-31 |
27.6 | Three Point % | 35.5 |
11-12 | FT | 9-10 |
91.7 | Free Throw % | 90.0 |
34 | Rebounds | 34 |
10 | Offensive Rebounds | 11 |
24 | Defensive Rebounds | 23 |
19 | Assists | 20 |
6 | Steals | 5 |
5 | Blocks | 3 |
12 | Turnovers | 14 |
1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
13 | Total Turnovers | 14 |
1 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
1 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
17 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 15 |
0 | Fast Break Points | 9 |
40 | Points in Paint | 20 |
11 | Fouls | 16 |
7 | Largest Lead | 8 |
Game Information
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Attendance: 18,978 · Capacity:
2023-24 Eastern Conference Standings
TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | - | 8 | L1 | 0.8 | 32 |
Connecticut | 4 | 12 | W1 | 0.7 | 28 |
Indiana | 12 | 20 | L1 | 0.5 | 20 |
Atlanta | 17 | 25 | W3 | 0.375 | 15 |
Washington | 18 | 26 | W1 | 0.35 | 14 |
Chicago | 19 | 27 | L5 | 0.325 | 13 |
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