Fever 78 (6-3) - Lynx 75 (5-3)
MENZIE HENDERSON
Lynx Writer
How it Happened
Box ScoreA back-and-forth battle finally broke through when Indiana's Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas capitalized.
Douglas led Indiana with 22 points, including three treys from downtown, while Catchings added 17 to drop the Lynx 78-75.
The Lynx ran their preferred up-tempo pace throughout the opening half, but the Fever eventually found a way to slow things down. With a stingy zone defense implemented during the final stanza, the Fever caught the late momentum by forcing the Lynx out of their fast-break attack and into heavily contested areas.
"Things got a little more difficult in the second half when the pace was much slower," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We really didn’t want to spend time walking it up and we were taking the ball out of the net and just didn’t get a flow to us in the second half.”
With back-to-back three pointers drained by Douglas and Catchings, the Fever tied it up 67-67 midway through the fourth quarter. The two potent Indiana scorers were effective down the stretch by working off of each other with a dribble penetration and kick attack.
Facing a narrow deficit 75-73 late in the game, the Lynx turned to Maya Moore to create but she coughed up a costly turnover on her way to the bucket. The errant possession led to a Katie Douglas free throw on the other end to increase the Fever lead to three.
With only seconds remaining, coach Reeve set up a play for Seimone Augustus and the savvy veteran was able to draw a shooting foul from beyond the arc. Augustus headed to the line where she made 2-of-3.
After having to foul and two more Fever free throws made, the Lynx were down three with a final chance at overtime. Whalen received the pass and stormed up the floor to heave a running three attempt at the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim to give the Lynx its first loss at Target Center this season.
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After Tamika Catching and the Indiana Fever got the best of Maya Moore in her first taste of WNBA action during the preseason, it was the rookie who returned the favor tonight. Moore got into a rhythm quickly with a few easy baskets in transition and then found her stroke from all areas of the floor. The gifted guard showed off an arsenal of moves and her ability to create off the dribble to drop 17 of her 21 points in the first half.
“I was trying to be more aggressive on the defensive end, and that’s what sparked my offense. We were able to get out in transition and run a little bit. It’s good to get back to what we love to do, and I was just trying to be aggressive,” Moore said after the defeat.
Notable Performance
Despite playing just over eight minutes, Jessica Adair made every second count with her effort on the hardwood. Adair provided a much-needed breather for Taj McWilliams-Franklin in the second half and filled in admirably. Adair will search to find her niche in this Lynx lineup as the season progresses, but her seven points and six boards in limited action tonight did not go unnoticed.
“I’m just trying to make it and do whatever I can. I came in last year and needed to prove myself and I think I’m trying to do the same thing now. It’s my first full year here so I just want to prove that I can play in this league,” Adair mentioned.
Highlight to Remember
Midway through the third quarter, Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin raised the level of intensity in the Target Center with just one play. As Indiana center Tammy Sutton-Brown drove to the bucket for a layup, Taj came from the weak side to emphatically send the attempt into the stands for a huge rejection. Taj played tough on both ends of the floor to record 10 points and 8 boards.
The Numbers Game
Minnesota yet again controlled the tempo tonight by pushing the ball in transition. The Lynx led the Fever 21-5 in fast-break points. Minnesota continues to set the pace as they lead the league in transition buckets, and have outscored their opponent on the break in every game this season.
Looking Ahead
The Lynx will have a few days home at the Life Time Fitness Training Center to regroup before traveling to take on the Tulsa Shock (1-8). Minnesota beat Tulsa 75-65 earlier this month.
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