Napheesa Collier scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 99-88 win over the Indiana Fever on Friday night in Indianapolis.
Bridget Carleton added 16 points and shot 4-of-9 from 3-point range for Minnesota (25-9), which won for the 10th time in its past 11 games. Courtney Williams chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds.
Caitlin Clark scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished eight assists to lead Indiana (18-17). Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points and Aliyah Boston scored 20 for the Fever, whose five-game win streak ended.
Indiana pulled within 78-77 with 5:34 to go when Clark fed Boston for a layup.
The Lynx closed the game on a 21-11 run to secure the victory. Natisha Hiedeman converted a three-point play with 1:46 to go, and Carleton followed with a 27-foot 3-pointer to give the visitors a 96-85 lead with 1:09 remaining.
Minnesota outscored the Fever 29-12 in the third quarter. The Lynx scored the first nine points of the second half on a 3-pointer and a layup by Alanna Smith, a jump shot by Williams and a running pull-up jumper by Carleton.
Another Williams jumper increased the Minnesota lead to double digits with 2:10 left in the third quarter. Smith assisted on the play to make it 70-60.
Smith made one of two free throws in the final seconds to boost the Lynx’s advantage to 74-62 entering the fourth quarter.
Indiana built a 50-45 lead at the half.
Boston made a driving layup to give the Fever a 50-40 lead with 1:02 left.
Minnesota closed the half with five straight points. Carleton made a pair of free throws with 47.9 seconds left, and she struck again with a 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds to go.
Indiana led 27-19 at the end of the first quarter. Temi Fagbenle made a basket to put the Fever on top by 11 points late in the quarter, and Cecilia Zandalasini brought the Lynx within eight when she drilled a 3-pointer with 59.5 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
