The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever 86 to 66 in their regular season finale, capping a night in which star guard Caitlin Clark recorded a career-worst two points on 1 of 12 shooting. The decisive loss altered the playoff landscape for Indiana, dropping the Fever into a matchup against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces rather than the Atlanta Dream, a scenario that would have required a victory over Minnesota.
The result marked a stark reversal from Tuesday's meeting between the two teams. In that contest, the Fever secured a statement win at home, at one point holding the top-seeded Lynx to their largest deficit of the season. On Thursday, however, Minnesota extinguished Indiana's momentum by locking down Clark, who finished with two points, three assists, and four rebounds in 18 minutes of action. The Fever entered halftime trailing 62 to 32 and fell behind by 30 points in the third quarter.
The defeat cost Clark a potential historical milestone. She entered the game 11 points shy of becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach both 900 points and 300 assists in a single season. Despite the opportunity, she fell short of the scoring threshold. The Fever also suffered significant injuries during the game. Starting center Aliyah Boston was ruled out with a right lower leg injury, and guard Ty Harris was carried off the court.
Minnesota played without rookie sensation Olivia Miles, who missed her second consecutive game due to a calf injury. The Lynx also rested their starters for much of Tuesday's second half, and Indiana appeared to adopt a similar strategy on Thursday after falling behind by a wide margin. Forward Sophie Cunningham was held scoreless across 16 minutes of play.
For the Fever, one bright note emerged in the form of Kelsey Mitchell. She broke the WNBA single-season three-pointer record by hitting her 135th of the season, surpassing Rhyne Howard's mark of 134. Mitchell led Indiana with 10 points on the night, though the loss ended her streak of 27 consecutive games with 20-plus points. The Fever finish their regular season with a record of 28 wins and 15 losses.
The WNBA postseason begins Sunday, with the Fever now set to face the Aces, who are led by MVP frontrunner A'ja Wilson.