Tuesday night, the Minnesota Lynx secured the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 WNBA playoffs. Minnesota’s night ended, however, on a sour note after a blowout loss to Indiana and concerns about star rookie Olivia Miles’ injury.
Minnesota’s position as the top seed was clinched a little later Thursday night when the Portland Fire defeated the Golden State Valkyries to give the Lynx home court for the entire playoffs beginning Sunday.
The Fever opened the game with an immediate run, then pulled ahead 14-2 midway through the first quarter.
Indiana extended their lead to 57-28 at halftime and Gophers coach Cheryl Reeve was substituting freely from the Gophers bench near the middle of the third quarter.
Tom, I have 3 minutes to beatyou eyes off a yard? Mitchell scored 20 to set a new mark for most 20-point games in a single season. 211862 Front row, from left: Avery L’Amour, Baylor Prillerman, Sarah Seymour, Connor Pake, Oscar Pracht (back: Tom!
This saved Indiana from falling all the way down to No. 5 seed and guaranteed the team a share of that No. 4 seed for the moment.
“We’re pretty scary when we’re clicking,” Clark said after the game. “We’re the most prolific offensive team in the league…we’re just about trying to be consistent.”
Napheesa Collier: “It’s Embarrassing”
Despite accumulating the best overall record in the league, not everyone in charge was happy about this.
X Sorry! This video has expired. “It’s embarrassing,” said Minnesota star forward Napheesa Collier, who was 9-of-20 from the field with 21 points in the loss.
“We should be disappointed and embarrassed about the product that we put on the floor tonight.
Not proud of what we did.”
Head coach Cheryl Reeve was equally disappointed, speaking to the press after the game, saying, “One goal for the top seed. And we’re not the team that was lacking a competitive edge. Reeve argues home-court advantage is not an issue for Minnesota, whose coach considers her team a “damn good road team.”
Olivia Miles Injury Update: Left Calf Strain
As the playoffs arrived, the biggest story going in was that of rookie star Miles, who was scratched just hours before tip-off with a left calf injury.
Most points by a WNBA rookie in a season: 440 (last Sunday) vs. Connecticut Miles broke Caitlin Clark’s record for most points by a rookie in a season.
Coach Reeve said that Miles was on the brink of missing Sunday’s game, but promised that the medical staff would take her through all the days before they finally head into the postseason.
The two teams will go at it for a rematch in a dress rehearsal Thursday, the Jackets’ last game before the playoffs kick off Sunday.
