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Napheesa Collier scores 31 points for Lynx, surpassing Caitlin Clark’s 23 in a 90-80 win over Fever
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Napheesa Collier scores 31 points for Lynx, surpassing Caitlin Clark’s 23 in a 90-80 win over Fever

After the Minnesota Lynx retired Maya Moore’s jersey on Saturday night, the home team came out strong and seemed to be on their way to a clear victory over the Indiana Fever. The Lynx built a big lead in the first quarter and won 90-80.

With the win, Minnesota secured a place in the playoffs.

But a Fever team that had won seven of its last nine games and is now playing for its own spot in the WNBA playoffs fought back and essentially reversed the first quarter score in the second, outscoring Minnesota 28-16 and taking a one-point lead at halftime. Indiana nearly got within 74-71 in the fourth quarter, but the Lynx went on a 12-0 run from there to close the game out.

Napheesa Collier scored a season-high 31 points and five rebounds for Minnesota, her third straight game with 23 or more points. Kayla McBride followed with 19 points and four assists, while Bridget Carleton had 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Fever were led by Caitlin Clark with 23 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Unfortunately, she also had seven turnovers, contributing to her league-leading total of 162 (an average of 5.8 per game). However, Clark is still the NBA’s leading assists player, averaging 8.3 per game. Kelsey Mitchell contributed 21, while Aliyah Boston grabbed 15 rebounds and 10 points.

Clark totaled 500 points and 200 assists in 29 games played, making her the first rookie to reach those numbers fastest during a season in WNBA history.

The Lynx improved their record to 23-8, the third-best mark in the WNBA, joining the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun in postseason appearances so far. Minnesota has now made the playoffs 13 times in coach Cheryl Reeve’s 15 seasons.

This loss, the first since the Olympic break, dropped Indiana to 13-16. However, the Fever are still No. 7 in the league, which would allow them to make the playoffs.

The Fever will finish their two-game road trip at the Atlanta Dream on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Lynx will next play the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

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