Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 24 points Thursday night to lead five players in double figures as the Indiana Fever won for just the third time in 18 games, thumping the Minnesota Lynx 91-73 in Indianapolis.
Rookie Aliyah Boston added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana (8-22), while Erica Wheeler contributed 17 points and 10 assists. Kristy Wallace chipped in 13 points and NaLyssa Smith came off the bench to tally 12.
The Fever, who have been frustrated by a lack of execution on both ends of the floor in key moments, made sure this wasn’t a close game with a good all-around performance. They shot 50 percent from the field, going 10-of-27 on 3-pointers, and controlled the boards 39-26.
Rachel Banham led Minnesota (14-16) with 18 points off the bench, while Jessica Shepard added 13, Diamond Miller 11 and Kayla McBride 10. But Napheesa Collier, the WNBA’s third-leading scorer at 21.9 ppg entering the game, didn’t score until the 5:34 mark of the third quarter and finished with only eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Indiana enjoyed a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint and also converted 13 Lynx turnovers into 18 points.
Indiana hinted at what was to come with an eight-point run that gave it a 17-11 lead at the 2:49 mark of the first quarter on Wheeler’s layup, although Minnesota rallied with 10 straight points to assume a 21-20 edge after 10 minutes.
The Fever created separation by dominating the final five minutes of the first half. Beginning with Victoria Vivians’ three-point play at the 5:06 mark, they ended the half with a 17-7 run. Mitchell’s layup before the buzzer made it 45-35 at intermission.
Indiana expanded the advantage to 59-41 with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter on Boston’s layup before the Lynx finally got Collier going. She scored eight points in less than 3 1/2 minutes to help them pull within 71-59 going to the fourth period.
–Field Level Media
