77 — 96
Seven-all, then all Indiana
The Lynx were still level at 7-7 when Makayla Timpson made two free throws with 7:26 left in the first quarter. From there, the game tilted hard toward Indiana. Kelsey Mitchell scored at 6:52 and 5:59, Aliyah Boston added free throws, and Clark stretched the floor with a 28-foot three at 3:26. Mitchell followed with a 27-footer at 2:36, and Boston’s layup with 29.6 seconds left gave the Fever a 31-16 first-quarter lead that already felt much larger than 15.
Indiana did not let that quarter stand alone. Sophie Cunningham opened the second with a three at 9:30, Monique Billings turned two free throws and a layup into quick points, and the Fever were up 38-18 by 8:45. Boston’s 26-foot three at 7:05 made it 43-20. Clark’s driving layup at 3:01, Boston’s running layup at 2:26 and Clark’s step-back jumper at 1:44 drove the lead to 27, and Clark’s free throws with 1:13 left pushed it to 57-28, Indiana’s high-water mark.
The late half mattered too, because Minnesota at least found a pulse before intermission. Chloe Bibby buried threes at 1:03 and 24.1 seconds to trim the margin to 57-34. Even so, the broader shape of the half belonged entirely to Indiana: the Fever finished the night at 50.8 percent from the field, posted 27 assists on 32 made baskets, and got scoring from every corner of the rotation that played. It was not one player putting on a solo act. It was a team offense with Clark, Mitchell and Boston at the center of it.
Bibby lights the rally, Clark answers
Minnesota’s best stretch came immediately after the break, and it changed the temperature of the game. Bibby opened the third quarter with threes at 9:39 and 8:54. Antonia Delaere followed with a layup and free throw at 8:12, then Aari McDonald knocked down two free throws at 7:24. What had been a 23-point halftime gap was suddenly 57-45 before Indiana finally scored in the quarter on Cunningham’s three at 6:29.
The Lynx kept that run alive deep into the period. Nia Brodie added a three at 6:03, Liatu King scored repeatedly around the basket, and Dorka Juhasz tied the comeback together with a steady passing line that ended at six assists. Minnesota won the third 30-14. By the time Maya Caldwell scored with 38.7 seconds left and McDonald added a basket with 3.0 seconds remaining, the Fever’s once-comfortable cushion had been shaved to 71-64.
That was the moment for Indiana’s stars to reassert the game, and Clark did it first. Her 27-foot three at 8:50 of the fourth pushed the lead back to 10. After King’s free throws made it 74-66, Billings hit two from the line, Clark scored on a drive at 7:29, Mitchell finished an alley-oop layup from Clark at 6:37, and Boston scored at 6:08 on another Clark assist for an 82-66 edge. Minnesota never got the deficit below 11 after Delaere made it 84-73 at 4:26. Mitchell’s free throws at 3:27, Boston’s short basket at 2:52 and Mitchell’s three at 2:17 ended the question that the third quarter had reopened.
Our take: Indiana had the cleaner formula
This result felt convincing because Indiana won in repeatable ways, not just hot-shooting bursts. Clark’s 27 points and nine assists will own the spotlight, and fairly so, but Boston’s 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Mitchell’s 20 points without a turnover were just as telling. The Fever were cleaner almost everywhere that matters over 40 minutes: 50.8 percent shooting to Minnesota’s 37.5, a 39-32 rebounding edge, 11 steals, and a 21-9 advantage in points off turnovers. When a team pairs that kind of efficiency with 27 assists, it usually controls the night even if one quarter goes sideways.
Indiana still has something real to clean up. A team that led 57-34 at halftime and by as many as 29 should not lose a quarter 30-14 without raising an internal alarm, and the 13 turnovers — including five from Clark — gave Minnesota the opening it needed. For the Lynx, the comeback group offered worthwhile signs: Bibby scored 15 and hit five threes, King added 12 points and three steals, and Juhasz mixed 12 rebounds with six assists. But the larger problem was plain enough in the box score. Minnesota shot 27-for-72, turned it over 17 times, allowed 18 fast-break points and sent Indiana to the line 28 times. Survive one of those problems and a rally can matter. Stack all four together, and even a strong third quarter turns into a brief interruption instead of a true threat.
Scoring moments
- 1st Quarter · 8:29
Courtney Williams makes 2-foot layup (Natasha Howard assists)
- 1st Quarter · 8:14
Caitlin Clark makes 29-foot three point jumper (Aliyah Boston assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:54
Maya Caldwell makes 25-foot three point jumper (Courtney Williams assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:44
Lexie Hull makes driving layup (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:33
Natasha Howard makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Courtney Williams assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:26
Makayla Timpson makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 7:26
Makayla Timpson makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 6:52
Kelsey Mitchell makes two point shot (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:15
Aliyah Boston makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 5:59
Kelsey Mitchell makes two point shot (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:31
Aliyah Boston makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 5:20
Napheesa Collier makes 6-foot fade away jump shot (Aari McDonald assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:07
Makayla Timpson makes 7-foot layup (Kelsey Mitchell assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:57
Napheesa Collier makes 24-foot three point jumper (Natasha Howard assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:55
Makayla Timpson makes 3-foot layup (Myisha Hines-Allen assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:43
Napheesa Collier makes 12-foot pullup jump shot (Natasha Howard assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:26
Caitlin Clark makes 28-foot three point jumper (Myisha Hines-Allen assists)
- 1st Quarter · 2:36
Kelsey Mitchell makes 27-foot three point jumper (Sophie Cunningham assists)
- 1st Quarter · 2:22
Napheesa Collier makes 12-foot jumper (Aari McDonald assists)
- 1st Quarter · 2:13
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:13
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:03
Makayla Timpson makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:03
Makayla Timpson makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 1:34
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 1:34
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 29.6
Aliyah Boston makes layup (Sophie Cunningham assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 9:47
Natasha Howard makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 9:47
Natasha Howard makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 9:30
Sophie Cunningham makes 23-foot three point jumper (Kelsey Mitchell assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 9:06
Monique Billings makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 9:06
Monique Billings makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 8:45
Monique Billings makes running layup (Tyasha Harris assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 8:08
Natasha Howard makes running layup (Courtney Williams assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 7:26
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 7:26
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 7:05
Aliyah Boston makes 26-foot three point jumper (Kelsey Mitchell assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:34
Aliyah Boston makes 3-foot layup (Kelsey Mitchell assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:18
Dorka Juhasz makes 25-foot three point jumper (Nia Brodie assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:31
Chloe Bibby makes 23-foot three point jumper (Liatu King assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:03
Aliyah Boston makes layup (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:30
Kelsey Mitchell makes 19-foot jumper (Lexie Hull assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:01
Caitlin Clark makes driving layup
- 2nd Quarter · 2:26
Aliyah Boston makes running layup (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:44
Caitlin Clark makes 19-foot step back jumpshot (Aliyah Boston assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:28
Liatu King makes 2-foot layup (Nia Brodie assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:13
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 1:13
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 1:03
Chloe Bibby makes 25-foot three point jumper (Antonia Delaere assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 24.1
Chloe Bibby makes 23-foot three pointer (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 9:39
Chloe Bibby makes 27-foot three point jumper (Aari McDonald assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:54
Chloe Bibby makes 23-foot three point jumper (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:12
Antonia Delaere makes 3-foot layup (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:12
Antonia Delaere makes free throw 1 of 1
- 3rd Quarter · 7:24
Aari McDonald makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 7:24
Aari McDonald makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 6:29
Sophie Cunningham makes 24-foot three point jumper (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:03
Nia Brodie makes 24-foot three point jumper (Aari McDonald assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:50
Caitlin Clark makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Tyasha Harris assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:36
Caitlin Clark makes two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 4:32
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 4:32
Caitlin Clark makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 4:19
Maya Caldwell makes driving layup (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:32
Liatu King makes running layup
- 3rd Quarter · 3:16
Sophie Cunningham makes 25-foot three point jumper (Tyasha Harris assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 2:59
Liatu King makes 3-foot layup (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 2:34
Dorka Juhasz makes layup (Aari McDonald assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 2:13
Aari McDonald makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 2:13
Aari McDonald makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 1:02
Liatu King makes layup
- 3rd Quarter · 53.1
Myisha Hines-Allen makes driving layup (Tyasha Harris assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 38.7
Maya Caldwell makes 2-foot two point shot (Dorka Juhasz assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3.0
Aari McDonald makes 4-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 8:50
Caitlin Clark makes 27-foot three point jumper (Raven Johnson assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:15
Liatu King makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 8:15
Liatu King makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 7:54
Monique Billings makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 7:54
Monique Billings makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 7:29
Caitlin Clark makes driving layup
- 4th Quarter · 6:37
Kelsey Mitchell makes alley oop layup (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 4th Quarter · 6:08
Aliyah Boston makes running layup (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 4th Quarter · 5:44
Liatu King makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 5:44
Liatu King makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 5:08
Caitlin Clark makes running layup
- 4th Quarter · 4:51
Antonia Delaere makes 23-foot three point jumper (Liatu King assists)
- 4th Quarter · 4:26
Antonia Delaere makes 7-foot running jump shot
- 4th Quarter · 3:27
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 3:27
Kelsey Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 2:52
Aliyah Boston makes 4-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 2:38
Aari McDonald makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 2:17
Kelsey Mitchell makes 24-foot three point jumper (Aliyah Boston assists)
- 4th Quarter · 1:23
Sophie Cunningham makes two point shot (Caitlin Clark assists)
- 4th Quarter · 1:08
Aari McDonald makes 24-foot three point jumper (Chloe Bibby assists)
- 4th Quarter · 1:04
Raven Johnson makes driving layup (Myisha Hines-Allen assists)
- 4th Quarter · 27.6
Myisha Hines-Allen makes free throw 1 of 2
Minnesota Lynx — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natasha Howard | 12 | 6 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | -19 |
| Napheesa Collier | 13 | 9 | 4-6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -20 |
| Kayla McBride | 12 | 0 | 0-4 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -20 |
| Courtney Williams | 9 | 2 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -16 |
| Maya Caldwell | 19 | 7 | 3-7 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -6 |
| Nia Brodie | 20 | 3 | 1-6 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -12 |
| Chloe Bibby | 26 | 15 | 5-10 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +6 |
| Dorka Juhasz | 32 | 5 | 2-9 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | -10 |
| Liatu King | 20 | 12 | 4-8 | 0-2 | 4-5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +1 |
| Antonia Delaere | 16 | 8 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +4 |
| Aari McDonald | 21 | 10 | 2-9 | 1-3 | 5-6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -3 |
Indiana Fever — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makayla Timpson | 24 | 8 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | -2 |
| Aliyah Boston | 30 | 17 | 7-9 | 1-2 | 2-4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +23 |
| Kelsey Mitchell | 27 | 20 | 6-13 | 2-7 | 6-6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | +8 |
| Lexie Hull | 10 | 2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Caitlin Clark | 33 | 27 | 9-18 | 3-7 | 6-6 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +16 |
| Myisha Hines-Allen | 12 | 3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -2 |
| Monique Billings | 15 | 6 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | +19 |
| Sophie Cunningham | 29 | 11 | 4-7 | 3-6 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +17 |
| Tyasha Harris | 14 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +10 |
| Raven Johnson | 8 | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +8 |
Minnesota Lynx — Team statistics
| FG | 27-72 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 38 |
| 3PT | 11-33 |
| Three Point % | 33 |
| FT | 12-14 |
| Free Throw % | 86 |
| Rebounds | 32 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 23 |
| Assists | 23 |
| Steals | 5 |
| Blocks | 2 |
| Turnovers | 17 |
| Team Turnovers | 0 |
| Total Turnovers | 17 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 21 |
| Fast Break Points | 8 |
| Points in Paint | 30 |
| Fouls | 23 |
| Largest Lead | 2 |
| Lead Changes | 3 |
| Percent Led | 1 |
Indiana Fever — Team statistics
| FG | 32-63 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 51 |
| 3PT | 9-26 |
| Three Point % | 35 |
| FT | 23-28 |
| Free Throw % | 82 |
| Rebounds | 39 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 6 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 33 |
| Assists | 27 |
| Steals | 11 |
| Blocks | 3 |
| Turnovers | 13 |
| Team Turnovers | 0 |
| Total Turnovers | 13 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 9 |
| Fast Break Points | 18 |
| Points in Paint | 40 |
| Fouls | 21 |
| Largest Lead | 29 |
| Lead Changes | 3 |
| Percent Led | 93 |