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    • Indiana sees what it takes to make a run in the playoffs
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    Indiana sees what it takes to make a run in the playoffs

    Vaseline Posted on

    INDIANAPOLIS — Minutes after a first-half lead had faded and the Minnesota Lynx ended the Indiana Fever’s five-game winning streak, 99-88, the Fever’s veterans made sure their young teammates took a moment to process what had just happened.

    At 25-9, the Lynx are second only to the New York Liberty in the standings. The Lynx have their sights set on a WNBA championship. The Fever earned their first playoff berth in 16 years, but they know the goal isn’t just to reach the postseason. The rising Fever dreams of one day winning a WNBA championship. To reach the top of the mountain, they’ll have to study teams like the Lynx and learn what it takes to become a title contender.

    Fever score: Fever loses its composure – and the game – in the third quarter, losing 99-88 to Lynx

    “That was the conversation in our locker room among our veterans like Temi (Fagbenle) and Katie Lou (Samuelson), they absolutely said this is the standard,” Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said. “We want to compete at the next level and be a part of a playoff run, not just get there, not just be a part of it, but make a run and make an impact.

    “We have to use this as leverage and know that (the Lynx) are the best, and to beat the best, you have to compete every night. I think we’ll use the film on a positive note and move forward.”

    The Lynx used a 29-12 third quarter to wrest control of the game from the Fever. Indiana cut their deficit to one point twice in the fourth quarter, but both times the Lynx answered with 3-pointers, first by Courtney Williams and then by Bridget Carleton. In the third quarter, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored all 12 of the Fever’s points on 3 of 12 shooting.

    During Indiana’s five-game winning streak, one player outside of the Fever’s Big Three made key plays that impacted the game. Lexie Hull’s hustle and strong rebounding regularly led to extra possessions on offense. NaLyssa Smith found her rhythm as a weakside defender, while capitalizing on her limited touches in the post. Hull had another strong all-around game, scoring eight points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, but foul trouble limited her ability to play aggressive defense. Smith struggled to find her offense, finishing with two points on 1-of-7 shooting. Clark, Mitchell and Boston combined for 68 of Indiana’s 88 points.

    “A balanced offense is always going to be better than a one-man or two-man offense,” Hull said. “Really good teams have everybody across the board as a threat, and we’re fortunate to have that. So just making sure we find the hot hand and keep scoring where we score and do what works throughout the game.”

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    Boston made its presence felt early, scoring eight points in the first quarter and connecting on all four of its shots. The sophomore forward scored just 12 more points the rest of the way, as the Lynx sent multiple bodies her way in the paint and the Fever routinely settled for outside shots. Clark and Mitchell can fire from deep, but Fever coach Christie Sides knows their offense works best when they play from the inside.

    “We’re second or first in the league in points in the paint. … We were tied with Minnesota, who isn’t very good at points in the paint. I think they’re maybe 11th or 12th,” Sides said. “We’ve got to take advantage of where we have the advantage. I think there were times where we just had to come down, execute, get a touch in the paint and play from there.

    “We took some shots early on that didn’t go our way, and then long shots turn into long rebounds, which is tough to do in transition defense.”

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