The Minnesota Lynx had one job on Tuesday night: beat the Indiana Fever to lock up the top seed in the WNBA playoffs. Instead, they got absolutely clobbered 96-77. Seriously, a blowout loss to the Fever! It was a bizarre scene that somehow still clinched them the No. 1 spot, all thanks to the Portland Fire taking down the Golden State Valkyries in overtime. Talk about failing upwards, right? Clinching a top seed while your starters are riding the pine in the second half, that’s wild.
Waving the White Flag Early?
This game was a mess for Minnesota. They got outrebounded 39-32, coughed up 17 turnovers that led to 21 Fever points, and lost the battle in the paint by ten. It felt like the Lynx handed the Fever that win. Head coach Cheryl Reeve pulled her entire starting five, except for Maya Caldwell, who was already filling in for Olivia Miles, a late scratch with a left calf issue. Reeve was blunt about it, saying, “It was apparent that maybe rest was a better option, with the playoffs starting on Sunday. We thought that first group would be better served, you know, saving legs, and not chase a win that wasn’t going to happen.” For a coach of her standing to basically throw in the towel that early? That tells you everything about how poorly her starters played and how things have felt shaky for them lately.
What’s Going On With Phee’s Return?
This late-season slump isn’t just a one-game thing. The Lynx have gone 6-4 over their last ten games. Want to know who else shares that record among playoff teams? Only the No. 8-seed New York Liberty. Every other playoff bound team has a better record over that stretch. And here’s the kicker: Napheesa Collier’s return was supposed to be terrifying for the league. She was coming back to a top team, making a title run seem inevitable. But since Phee rejoined the lineup, the Lynx are 10-5, winning 66 percent of their games with her. That’s not terrible, but it’s a noticeable dip from their overall 74 percent win rate for the year. Collier herself acknowledged the mess, saying, “We know that what we did was unacceptable. I emphasized how proud I was of the group that came in and got us back to the game. I’m very proud of what they did, but we let them down.”
With the playoffs kicking off on Sunday, this is exactly the kind of momentum you do NOT want. Can the Lynx flip a switch when the games really matter, or is this No. 1 seed looking more like a curse? It’s going to be wild to see what they bring to the court next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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