Fever, Kelsey Mitchell can't out-score Lynx: Likes, dislikes from 108-100 loss — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

The Indiana Fever scored in triple-digits for the sixth straight game, but they couldn't extend their winning streak as they fell to the Minnesota Lynx, 108-100 , on Sunday to finish out a three-game road trip.

Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 37 points, while Caitlin Clark added on 19 points and 10 assists and Aliyah Boston had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Here's what I liked and disliked about the Fever's performance:

What I liked about Indiana Fever's loss vs Minnesota Lynx

Offensive firepower: When two of the best offenses in the league meet, it's going to be explosive. On Sunday, it was exactly that. The Fever and Lynx combined for a league-record 69 points in the first quarter, per ESPN insights, and the Fever shot 65% from the field for 33 points. Kelsey Mitchell went a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, accounting for 17 of the Fever's 33 points. Indiana's potent offense, however, had met its match with Minnesota scoring 36 points in that same quarter.

Kelsey Mitchell's scoring: By far, the most consistent scorer on the Indiana Fever this season has been Kelsey Mitchell. She showed that on Sunday with her 14th straight 20-point game, breaking a tie with Diana Taurasi for the longest streak by a guard in the WNBA. She started out hot with 17 points in the first quarter and finished with 37 on 14-of-21 shooting.

Fourth quarter (almost) comeback: Indiana trailed by 14 points with seven minutes left in the game, but they weren't going to let that stop them. They put a strong defensive front, including a potent block from Makayla Timpson on former Fever player and league veteran Natasha Howard that led to a 3-pointer from Aliyah Boston to get the Fever within seven points. The Fever continued their push after that, using a 14-2 run to get within two points with two minutes left in the game. That comeback fell short with a series of mistakes, though, including a travel from Boston, a missed defensive rebound that led to a putback for Minnesota, and a couple crucial missed 3-pointers from Clark and Mitchell. All of that ultimately allowed Minnesota to pull away.

What I disliked about Indiana Fever's loss vs Minnesota Lynx

Allowing extra possessions: The Fever struggled to rebound effectively in the first half, picking up just 12 boards to the Lynx's 19. A lot of that can be attributed to each team shooting better than 58% from the field, but Minnesota took advantage of the Fever's rebounding woes, too. The Lynx capitalized on all four of their offensive rebounds in the first half, picking up nine second-chance points on those extra possessions.

The inability to guard Olivia Miles: 2026 No. 2 pick Olivia Miles is on a warpath to the Rookie of the Year award, and her campaign continued in a big way against the Fever. Miles sliced and diced through Indiana's defense easily, working through double-teams to find holes and blowing by her defenders. She had 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting by halftime alone.

What Indiana Fever's loss vs Minnesota Lynx means

The Indiana Fever's offense is completely fine. Most nights, they can shoot their opponent out of the gym, minimal defense required. But that didn't work for them Sunday afternoon, as they met a Minnesota team that is easily one of the top contenders for the league championship. The fourth-quarter comeback showed fight, even playing just 36 hours before on the other side of the country, and it shows how the Fever can improve. But Indiana's defense has been a sticking point all season, and they'll need to find a way to fix it to become true contenders this year.

.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever, Kelsey Mitchell can't out-score Lynx: Likes, dislikes from 108-100 loss

Fever, Kelsey Mitchell can't out-score Lynx: Likes, dislikes from 108-100 loss — Yahoo Sports | AIPROPX