Game 44, the last regular game of the season was upon us.
While the game itself did not have any postseason ramifications (A Valkyries overtime loss on Tuesday helped the Lynx clinch the first seed in the WNBA playoffs), it still would’ve been good for the Lynx to close the regular season strong with a win. Minnesota was only holding out Olivia Miles with a calf injury again, and playing the rest of the regular rotation players to finish the season on a high note and take the good mojo with them to the series
against New York.
The response to the loss on Tuesday was strong from Minnesota as they came out firing in the opening quarter.
The intensity fed the crowd which got the boulder rolling down the hill. This led to a dominant frame that included an 18-0 Lynx run. Kayla McBride hitting shots all over the floor and the passion coming through at every moment. Minnesota held the Fever to 5 of 23 from the floor in the first quarter and jumped out to a 32-13 lead.
After the dominant first quarter, it would’ve been easy to rest and take your foot off the gas. The Lynx did the exact opposite. Kayla McBride and Natasha Howard upped their intensity another notch and took it right at Indiana. Mac doing so from her flame throwing beyond the arc and Howard using her strength in the paint to get easy shots at the rim.
Kelsey Mitchell was able to recover a little bit and finished the half with 10 points but only shot 3 of 11 from the floor. The first half was all Minnesota as a McBride triple and Courtney Williams middy to close the half gave them a 30-point lead in a game that Indiana needed for playoff positioning.
Though the Minnesota offense dried up in the third quarter, the defense did not. The Lynx continued to suffocate the Fever offense and force them into tough shots. The unfortunate injury bug hit Indiana in this frame, Aliyah Boston went out with a seemingly minor leg injury, and Ty Harris had to be carried off the court with a much more severe leg injury of her own. The Lynx decided to pull their starters at that point, and the reserves got more run down the stretch and into the fourth quarter.
The final quarter saw both teams put in their reserves and look ahead to the playoffs, especially the Fever loss and Mystics win sent Indiana to a Las Vegas Aces first round series. Aari McDonald received the second most minutes and scored eight points off the bench, that will be something to monitor as playoff rotations come more into focus.
The Much Needed Bounce-back
Minnesota had a rough go of it over their last five games, going 1-4 and stacking a few lackluster performances together over the final stretch of the season. While all teams go through these things, even the great ones, the timing of it and how it felt when watching was understandably setting off alarm bells for the Lynx fanbase. Heading into the final game, and deciding to play all of their players in a technically meaningless game, they were searching for some positive vibes heading into the playoffs.
The Lynx did just that. From the get go, they were locked in on the task at hand and hit the Fever with a haymaker right out of the gates. A massive first quarter run paired with physical defense helped them to take a commanding early lead that they never let go of.
You could feel the playoff intensity from the Lynx players all saying the same thing: They’re ready for postseason basketball.
Maya Caldwell was fighting over screens, Courtney Williams celebrating big buckets, KMac lightning quick trigger threes, Napheesa Collier shooting with top tier confidence, and Natasha Howard taking it right at the Fever bigs.
Whether or not you believe in momentum, ending a great regular season on a high note is exactly what you wanted to see from this team. They showed tonight exactly what they’re about, and will now look to ride that wave against a bitter rival in the Liberty.
Kayla McBride Setting the Tone
While the whole starting lineup came to play, McBride was the one setting the tone. She came out on fire, barely hitting the bottom of the net on the majority of her shots. She always has the ability to score in bunches, but it was the intensity and passion that stuck out in this one. She was fighting over screens and taking the physicality to a whole new level.
After hitting a three in the first quarter, she screamed in excitement as Coach Cheryl Reeve looked on, smiling. McBride is ready for playoff basketball, and so are the rest of the Lynx.
