The WNBA playoffs begin on Sunday, and the Minnesota Lynx have earned the top seed.
Minnesota Lynx’s Bridget Carleton (6) puts up a shot against Indiana Fever’s Brianna Turner during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
But don’t tell coach Cheryl Reeve that her squad can simply coast to the finish line.
“More than anything it’s understanding who we are,” she said pregame Tuesday. “More than anything it’s shoring up what we consider areas that need to be shored up. I’m obviously not going to reveal all those things, but we’ve taken a deep dive on ourselves. We’re trying to use these games to get a little bit better to gain some momentum going into the playoffs.”
Then came an 83-72 loss at Indiana.
The Lynx are still a league-best 33-10, but 5-5 in their past 10 outings and 3-3 in their past six.
Minnesota made 33 of 74 shots (44.6%), but a season-low two on 20 3-point attempts. The league’s top 3-point shooting team at 38.5%, the Lynx missed their first 13 tries, including all 12 in the first half. Of Minnesota’s 72 points, 58 came in the paint.
Jessica Shepard was 8 of 10 from the field for 16 points to go along with seven rebounds to lead the Lynx. Maria Kliundikova had 12 points off the bench, Alanna Smith had 11 points, and Courtney Williams contributed eight points and five assists.
Shepard started because leading scorer and potential league Most Valuable Player Napheesa Collier got the night off for rest purposes. DiJonai Carrington missed her third straight game with a subluxed left shoulder, but Reeve said it’s trending in the right direction.
No one on a team playing its third straight road game will use either absence as a reason for allowing Indiana to shoot 48.4%, including 57.6% in the opening half. The Fever scored the first 10 points of the game, added a 9-0 run late in the frame, and led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter.
Minnesota scored the first nine points of the second half to make it a four-point game, but the Fever scored 21 of the next 29 points, and the Lynx were down 70-53. The Indiana lead reached 24 in the fourth quarter.
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