The Minnesota Lynx have lost four of the last five games they played, with the latest loss coming against the fifth-seeded Indiana Fever on September 22. The Lynx starting lineup had one of their worst performances all season, and veteran forward Napheesa Collier was not shy about expressing her obvious frustration about their latest performance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as ESPN’s Kareem Copeland reported on X.
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“It’s embarrassing. We should be disappointed and embarrassed about the product that we put on the floor tonight. Not proud of what we did, “ said Collier after the game.
The Minnesota Lynx have been phenomenal all season, boasting the second-best offensive rating in the league (112.8), while also standing strong at third for defensive rating (103.8). They have been led all season by rookie sensation Olivia Miles, who stepped in early in the season when Napheesa Collier was out due to injury recovery. Miles leads the Lynx in both points and assists, and her absence seemed to knock the wind out of the Lynx offense.
Miles was ruled out 90 minutes before tipoff with a left calf injury, leaving the Lynx without their primary scoring engine. The Lynx starting lineup, including veterans like Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, and Napheesa Collier, seemed unable to find their rhythm, with the team allowing 21 points off of 17 turnovers across the game. Minnesota got outscored 32-16 in the first quarter, and by halftime, the Indiana Fever had racked up a strong 23-point lead.
Napheesa Collier, who was the runner-up in last year’s MVP race, managed to score only nine points and two rebounds across the 13 minutes she played. This is a far cry from the 16.2 points she averaged over her last five outings, including a dominant 23-point performance during Minnesota’s 101-89 win against the Connecticut Sun on September 20. But what was surprising was that four of the starting five were benched at halftime, with only Maya Caldwell playing for 12:07 minutes in the second half.
The decision came from head coach Cheryl Reeve, after Howard scored six points, while McBride added none. Reeve addressed her decision in the post-game press conference when asked about the bench taking over the game after halftime.
“What I saw in the first 15 minutes of the game. It was apparent that maybe rest was a better option with playoffs starting on Sunday. We thought that that first group would be better served, you know, saving legs, and let’s not chase a win that wasn’t going to happen.”
That strategy served the Lynx well in the second half, as the third quarter saw a revival in scoring. Led by Chloe Bibby, Minnesota managed to outscore the Fever 30-14 in Q3, but the lead established before halftime was too big to overcome, as the Fever clinched their 28th win with a final score of 96-77.
But regardless of Napheesa Collier’s blunt assessment of the Lynx’s performance, they have managed to clinch the number one spot on the WNBA leaderboard. Despite their latest loss, the mathematics of playoff contention have allowed the Minnesota Lynx to remind the top-seeded team.
The only team that was in contention for the top spot apart from the Lynx was the Golden State Valkyries, who held a record of 31-11 before their latest game against the Portland Fire on September 22. The Valkyries fell in overtime to the Fire, which leaves them with a record of 31-12 – two games behind the Lynx’s record.
The Valkyries only have one regular season game left, as do the Lynx. If the Valkyries win, and the Lynx lose their rematch against the Fever on September 24, the two teams will both hold a record of 32-12. And since Minnesota holds the advantage over the Golden State in their head-to-head season record (3-1), the Lynx are guaranteed the top seed going into the playoffs.
Despite a frustrating performance against the Fever, Napheesa Collier and the Lynx will look to make a comeback in their last regular-season game against the Fever. The teams currently hold a 1-1 head-to-head record this season, and the Lynx will look to win this battle, entering the playoffs on a high.