Lynx flex their top-seed muscle without Miles, push Clark and the Fever
to 6th for the WNBA playoffs
[September 25, 2026]
By DAVE CAMPBELL
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 22 points on
6-for-10 shooting from 3-point range as the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx
closed the regular season by cruising to an 86-66 victory Thursday night
that pushed the Indiana Fever into sixth place entering the WNBA
playoffs. |
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) passes the ballaround Minnesota
Lynx forward Natasha Howard, right, during the first half of a WNBA
basketball game, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP
Photo/Ellen Schmidt) |
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Natasha Howard had 21 points and Courtney Williams added nine
points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for the Lynx, who played
without star point guard Olivia Miles for a second straight game
due to a left calf injury. The Lynx snapped back from a blowout
loss to the Fever on the road two days ago.
Kelsey Mitchell had a team-leading 10 points and Caitlin Clark
scored a season-low two points on 1-for-12 shooting as the Fever
fell behind 25-4 late in the first quarter and never recovered.
Minnesota (33-11), which had already secured the No. 1 seed for
the second consecutive year, will face New York in a
best-of-three first-round matchup starting Sunday. The Liberty
beat the Lynx in five games in the WNBA Finals in 2024.
Indiana (28-16) lost the season series tiebreaker in defeat at
home to Washington four days ago, and the Mystics passed the
Fever for fifth by beating Chicago earlier Thursday. Indiana had
to wait until the last possible hour of the regular season to
find out its first-round opponent will be defending champion Las
Vegas (31-13) after Golden State (32-12) rallied to beat Los
Angeles to secure the No. 2 seed.
After beating the Lynx 96-77 in Indianapolis, the Fever
squandered that momentum with a lifeless performance including a
season low in points and field goal percentage.
The Fever lost backup guard Ty Harris to a left ankle injury in
the third quarter after she landed awkwardly after a drive to
the basket. Harris grabbed her leg and was down on the floor for
several minutes before being carried off the court to the locker
room.
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