Lynx clinch WNBA No 1 seed despite ‘embarrassing’ loss to Fever and Olivia Miles injury

Caitlin Clark had 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points to her WNBA single-season scoring record as the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-77 on Tuesday night.

It was a mixed night for the Lynx. Portland Fire’s victory over the Golden State Valkyries later in the evening meant Minnesota have clinched the No 1 seed for the playoffs, which start on Sunday. However, the Lynx were without Olivia Miles. The record-breaking rookie was a late scratch because of an injured left calf, and her absence clearly had an impact. Miles broke Clark’s single-season scoring record by a rookie on Sunday. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said she almost held Miles out Sunday against Connecticut and that the team would take the injury day by day as the playoffs approach.

Indiana took control with a 14-2 run to close the first quarter while opening up a 31-16 lead. The Fever extended the margin to 38-18 quickly in the second quarter and led by as much as 57-28 the first half. That led Reeve to pull most of her starters for the second half and Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said she was unhappy with her team’s performance on the night.

“It’s embarrassing,” Collier told ESPN. “We should be disappointed and embarrassed about the product that we put on the floor tonight. Not proud of what we did.”

The Fever have already clinched their place in the playoffs, and Tuesday’s win kept alive their faint hopes of earning the No 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round for at least one more day.

“We’re scary when we’re clicking,” Clark said. “Like, we’re the best offensive team in the league, and we’ve shown moments where we can be really good defensively. I feel very confident in everything and everybody that we have in this locker room, and I think for us it’s just finding a level of consistency.”

Reeve had called for her team to aim at “ripping people’s hearts out, and taking momentum back.” However, after the loss to Fever, Reeve said she hoped her team would find that mindset when the team meet again on Thursday.

“Well, that’s not my version of ‘F you,’” Reeve said. “So, we’ll maybe discuss that. Like, what does that mean to you? And so that would be great that maybe that might exist on Thursday.”

Reeve also said that clinching home court advantage for the playoffs did not matter to her because the Lynx are a “damn good road team.”