The Minnesota Lynx secured a playoff spot with a 90-80 win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night.
It wasn’t for lack of trying.
Fever star Caitlin Clark led the team with 23 points and eight assists, along with seven turnovers. Kelsey Mitchell added 21 points, while Aliyah Boston had 10 points and 15 rebounds. But that wasn’t enough to stop Napheesa Collier’s 31 points and Kayla McBride’s 19 points.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on August 24, 2024 in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
But eyes were on Clark, as always – even more so after Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve criticized the 2024 first-round draft pick. Reeve, who led the U.S. team to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, praised Clark highly after the game.
“We haven’t seen her much,” Reeve began, via the Indy Star. “I can tell you that. But what I saw early in the season and what I watched her do in college made me think, ‘The best thing she does that young players don’t is she plays with incredible speed.’
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts after making a three-pointer at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“And with pace you can go really far and that’s very valuable. Pace and passing are their two biggest strengths. I know the Logo 3 is probably the more attractive part, but the pace and passing is what makes them exceptional in my eyes.”
Reeve had been critical of questions about Clark’s removal from Team USA’s roster, once admitting that she didn’t really care what effect the rookie superstar’s popularity had on attendance at Target Center.
The Lynx retired Maya Moore’s jersey on Saturday. Reeve joked that she wished she had both Clark and Moore on her team.
But she’ll probably settle for the team she currently has at 22-8. Minnesota has won six games in a row and is just three games behind the No. 1-ranked New York Liberty.
Former Minnesota Lynx player Maya Moore listens as her former coach Cheryl Reeve speaks during a jersey retirement ceremony following the game against the Indiana Fever at Target Center on August 24, 2024 in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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Liberty, Lynx and Connecticut Sun have all secured playoff spots. The top eight teams will make it to the playoffs. Indiana is currently in seventh place.
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