Kayla McBride scored 22 points and shot 6-for-10 from beyond the arc, leading the Minnesota Lynx to an 86-66 win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday night in Minneapolis. This victory secured the top-seed position for the Lynx (33-11) as they closed the regular season, despite the absence of star point guard Olivia Miles, who is sidelined with a left calf injury for the second consecutive game.
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Natasha Howard contributed 21 points, while Courtney Williams added nine points, seven rebounds, and ten assists for Minnesota. The Lynx's win marked a rebound from their earlier 96-77 loss to the Fever.
The Fever, finishing the season at 28-16, were led by Kelsey Mitchell with 10 points, while Caitlin Clark struggled, scoring just two points on 1-for-12 shooting. Indiana fell behind early, trailing 25-4 late in the first quarter and could not recover.
In the standings, the Fever lost the tiebreaker to the Washington Mystics, who defeated the Chicago Sky earlier Thursday. This result pushed Indiana to the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs. The Fever will find out their first-round opponent, either the Golden State or Las Vegas Aces, depending on the outcomes of the games on the West Coast.
In a further setback, backup guard Ty Harris sustained a left ankle injury in the third quarter after awkwardly landing during a drive to the basket. She was unable to continue and was carried off the court.