Napheesa Collier scored 31 points, and Kayla McBride added eight of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 90-80 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday night, securing a playoff spot.
Minnesota (22-8), which had defeated the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces 87-74 the night before, has now won six games in a row, including five by double figures since returning from the Olympic break.
Clark, the top pick in the draft, led Indiana (13-16) with 23 points and eight assists. She also became the fastest player in league history to score 500 points (520) and record 200 assists (240) in just 29 games.
Bridget Carleton hit a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 10-point lead with 7:49 remaining. Lexie Hull then scored two layups and a 3-pointer to bring Indiana within 72-69 with 6:16 left.
McBride responded with a jumper and then made two 3-pointers in a 14-2 run that extended the Lynx’s lead to 15 points with 3:23 to go.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points for the Fever, and Aliyah Boston added 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Carleton finished with 16 points for Minnesota, making four 3-pointers. Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman both contributed 10 points.
After the game, the Lynx held a jersey retirement ceremony for Maya Moore Irons’ No. 23, attended by a record crowd of more than 19,000 at the Target Center. Moore Irons joins Seimone Augustus (No. 33), Rebekkah Brunson (No. 32), Sylvia Fowles (No. 34), and Lindsay Whalen (No. 13) as the only players in franchise history to have their jerseys retired.
Moore Irons, who was Clark’s favorite player growing up, helped the Lynx win four WNBA championships. She earned the 2014 MVP and the 2013 Finals MVP awards and was a six-time All-Star, earning All-Star Game MVP honors three times.
