Following a tough 96-77 loss in Indiana, the struggling Minnesota Lynx secured the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs after the Golden State Valkyries were defeated 90-82 in overtime by the Portland Fire. Minnesota needed either a win in one of their final two games or a single loss from Golden State to clinch the top spot. Holding the No. 1 seed means Thursday’s regular-season finale against Indiana holds little significance beyond finding momentum after dropping four of their last five matches.
On Tuesday night, the Lynx’s performance was so poor that head coach Cheryl Reeve benched all five starters for 25 straight minutes after falling behind by as much as 29 points in the first half. Except for Maya Caldwell, who started due to Olivia Miles’ absence, none of the starters played more than 13 minutes. Reeve explained, “It was apparent that maybe rest was a better option with the playoffs starting on Sunday.”
Miles was a late scratch because of a left calf injury, which had also nearly kept her out of Sunday’s game against Connecticut—where she scored 21 points and broke Caitlin Clark’s rookie scoring record. Reeve noted, “It’s been something that’s come up and we nearly didn’t play her against Connecticut. We probably shouldn’t have. We were really leaning that way. We’ll see what tomorrow brings in terms of healing and testing, but we just can’t take a chance.”
On the other side, Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 27 points Tuesday. The Lynx will host Clark and her team on Thursday, with potential first-round playoff opponents including New York, Dallas, or Washington.
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Fan Take: This update is crucial for WNBA fans as it highlights the Lynx’s resilience despite recent struggles and the strategic resting of key players ahead of the playoffs. How Minnesota manages player health and momentum could have a major impact on the intensity and excitement of the postseason, underscoring the growing competitiveness of the league.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
